Ed Reed is listed as the first-string free safety

The main surprise when looking at the offensive depth chart is that Davon Drew is listed as the second-string tight end, ahead of rookies Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta.

Drew has missed the last few days of practice with a hamstring injury, but even when he's been healthy, the rookies have gotten the majority of the second-string tight end reps. Dickson and Pitta are considered the front-runners for the job behind Todd Heap, but the more experienced Drew gets the nod for now.

On defense, Cory Redding is listed as the first-string defensive end, with Trevor Pryce on the second-team. Jameel McClain, who has gotten the bulk of the first-team reps at inside linebacker during camp is the No. 1 "Will" LB, with Dannell Ellerbe backing him up.

Chris Carr and Fabian Washington are the two starting corners, and although he is on the Physically Unable to Perform list and doesn't look close to returning to practice, Ed Reed is listed as the first-string free safety.

Tom Zbikowski is the No. 2 free safety, while veteran Ken Hamlin is down as the third-stringer.

On special teams, Jalen Parmele is listed as the top kickoff returner (with David Reed, Prince Miller and Curtis Steele behind him), and Carr is down as the first-string punt returner. Zbikowski and Miller are the other two on the depth chart at that spot.

The free safety position is a big-time question mark for the Ravens with All-Pro Ed Reed sidelined with a hip injury. Only God and Reed -- some of you may think they're synonymous -- know when he will return to the field, so there's a lot of interest in the training camp showdown between third-year safety Tom Zbikowski and recently-signed veteran Ken Hamlin.

Zbikowski came to camp in great shape, and he has a strong awareness of what he's supposed to do on the back end. He's not going to freelance like Reed. Like former fan favorite Jim Leonard, Zbikowski will make the smart, safe play more often than not. Plus he's more athletic than Leonard, and his boxer's mentality is a perfect fit for the Ravens defense.

"Zibby is playing very fast," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. "He's really covering ground. He looks really quick."

Meanwhile, Hamlin, an eight-year veteran who was named to the Pro Bowl in 2007, seems more and more comfortable each time he's on the practice field in Westminster.

He has been running with the second-team defense so far, and has been Ed Reed communicating well with fellow safety Haruki Nakamura and the Ravens' motley crew at a cornerback. Hamlin isn't the fastest guy, but he intercepted Troy Smith on a deep throw Monday morning.