Ravens: Bryant McKinnie's conditioning has improved since he arrived at training camp

On Thursday, Bryant McKinnie got his first chance to prove he's still a starting-caliber left tackle in the NFL. After running with the second team through the first two-thirds of Baltimore Ravens preseason camp, McKinnie started against Jacksonville in Baltimore's third preseason game.

McKinnie did give up a sack on a tricky stunt Jacksonville ran, but for the most part he held up well in pass blocking situations. One concern was whether McKinnie, who underwent a lot of conditioning this offseason, would be able to keep up with the new no-huddle offense Baltimore is installing.

"I wasn't tired," McKinnie said. "It worked in my favor a little bit because they weren't able to sub in and out."

McKinnie showed up for training camp five days late after hurting his back in an accident outside of his south Florida home. The Ravens weren't happy with McKinnie showing up late, as he was placed on the second team for the beginning of camp -- and stayed there through two preseason games.

But despite reporting at 360 pounds, McKinnie has looked in good enough shape. The up-tempo approach on offense hasn't been a problem, and it showed against Jacksonville. He said he has continued the cardio work he put in during the offseason, doing various exercises post-practice each day.

With the regular-season opener against Cincinnati in two weeks, McKinnie will be looking to continue his consistency in practice so he can prove he belongs as the team's starting left tackle.

"I felt good, the tempo was fast, and I wanted to check to see how I could handle it," McKinnie said. "I felt I was in pretty good shape in my conditioning."

Follow Ravens reporter Jason Butt on Twitter: @CBSSportsNFLBAL and @JasonButtCBS.