NFL Mock Draft: Ravens Get Lamar Jackson New Protector
The Baltimore Ravens were so close to reaching their first Super Bowl since 2012 but came up agonizingly short in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now tasked with getting the franchise back to where it belongs, the long road begins with a single step...and that's the NFL Draft.
The Ravens have guards Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson set to test the free agent market and with left tackle Ronnie Stanley only playing 24 games in the last two seasons, Baltimore, in a draft that features multiple highly talented linemen, takes Duke's Graham Barton in the first round.
"Graham Barton played left tackle his final three seasons at Duke, and he was the anchor of that unit, but his NFL future will be inside, either at guard or center," CBS Sports writes. "And with both of Baltimore's guards set to hit free agency, Barton makes sense here."
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Barton's strengths mash up well with what the Ravens want to do more than any other team - run the football as his quickness of the line allows him to get to the second level in the blink of an eye.
A better run blocker than pass protector, given the Ravens' offensive identity with Todd Monken, adding Barton who excels in the run game could prove to be a useful addition in the first round.
Barton in 2023 allowed just two sacks and nine quarterback hurries from his left tackle position and while he spent the majority of his time there, he also has the versatility to switch to guard, which also might be of use to the Ravens give Zeither and Simpson's uncertain futures and also provide cover for Stanley.
The Ravens were one of the best teams in the NFL last season, and with roster turnover just part of the business, the offensive line could look vastly different in 2024, with Barton the newest member tasked with protecting Lamar Jackson.
