Should New York Giants Look at Ravens IOL Ben Powers in Free Agency?

OG Ben Powers

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 338 lbs.
NFL Exp.: 4 seasons (all with Ravens)
School: Butler CC (2015) and Oklahoma (2016-2018)
Giants Current Cap Space: $44.42 million

The New York Giants offensive line is still a work in progress, as they gave up 49 sacks in the 2022 season. That sack total was tied for the fifth-most in the NFL, and teams with elite pass rushes, most notably the rival Cowboys and Eagles, exploited this weakness constantly.

There’s no secret that the Giants need to improve the offensive line, but they’re currently set for the left and right tackle positions. On the left is Andrew Thomas, who has developed into one of the best offensive linemen in the league and was named a second-team All-Pro; his 89.1 overall PFF grade is evidence of his exceptional play. On the right is Evan Neal, who struggled in his rookie season but should have plenty of time to develop, just like Thomas did.

With the offensive tackles in place, the Giants need to improve the interior line, especially with Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates entering free agency. While they have a pair of young linemen in Josh Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan, both had their rookie seasons cut short due to injury, thus depriving them of important on-field practice reps.

Thus, the Giants might turn to the free-agent market to add a veteran, and one guy who could be a fit is Ravens interior lineman Ben Powers.

OTHER FREE AGENT PROSPECTS: LB Germaine Pratt

Why He’d Be A Fit

Powers is coming off a breakout season with the Ravens, and some of the numbers he put up are truly stunning.

In particular, his pass-blocking was unbelievable. Taking 1,094 snaps during the 2022 season, with 597 of them being pass plays, Powers allowed only 12 pressures. And that’s not nearly the most impressive part.

Powers allowed only one quarterback hit and --wait for it--zero sacks. Zero. For the whole season.

That performance ultimately resulted in the 11th-best pass-blocking grade among offensive linemen and the second-best among guards. Keep in mind that Powers primarily plays left guard, meaning he would be adjacent to Thomas at left tackle, a potential lineup that would make the left side of the line nearly impenetrable against the pass.

Powers was only penalized once all year. The Giants had 19 false starts but only ten offensive holding penalties last year, so they're going to be looking for better-disciplined play by their offensive linemen in 2023 and beyond.

Drawbacks

Despite Powers’ mastery of pass protection, he struggled with run blocking.

The Ravens, like the Giants, are a run-heavy team and one that had the second-most rushing yards in the NFL. The Giants were fourth in team rushing yards. The Giants might want to focus on building the offense around the passing game versus the running game, but regardless, the run game can't be overlooked lest the Giants become one-dimensional on offense.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Powers is considered the best interior offensive lineman available on PFF, and if the Giants brought him in, the offensive line would receive a much-needed upgrade.

Although his struggles in run-blocking are a concern, the Ravens overcame this by having a mobile quarterback, which the Giants will have if they bring Daniel Jones back. Meanwhile, Powers’ incredible pass-blocking skills should give Jones more time to throw and allow the Giants to trust the pass more often.

Powers is also uncertain of his future as he prepares to become a free agent after a breakout year. A return to the Ravens is very much in the cards for him, and by default, they are the favorites to sign him to a new contract.

But if not, there’s comparatively low risk and high reward with Powers, and it would make perfect sense for the Giants to bid for his services.

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