Raven Country

Ravens Young OL Showing Signs of Growth

The Baltimore Ravens have a handful of reserve trench players on the offensive side of the ball who continue to impress with the strides they've made in their development.
Josh Reed|
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum (64) and center Corey Bullock (67) enter the field for warm up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum (64) and center Corey Bullock (67) enter the field for warm up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens' starting offensive line has been the target of a lot of criticism this season for their inability to consistently run the ball or hold up in pass protection, no matter whose been taking snaps under center during their surprising 1-5 start.

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, some of their young reserves have continued to improve and raise their level of play in practice to the point where they could find themselves in elevated roles sooner rather than later.

Among the three that offensive line coach George Warhop was very complementary of during his most recent press conference, second-year pro Corey Bullock has been the most impressive dating back to training camp. The 2024 undrafted free agent out of Maryland is the top backup at center but could also be an option to replace one of the Ravens' starting guards coming out of the bye week, as head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that they're "absolutely" considering making changes to the underwhelming starting lineup.

"He does a great job in practice, and I'll just tell you one thing about Corey; Corey's an unbelievable kid in the meeting room," Warhop said. "[He's] outstanding. When young guys come in or new guys come in, or if he's dealing with the guys that are really young, he pours into them all the time. That's a quality that I can't even tell you how much I appreciate to have guys in the room, guys that he's competing with – that he'll eventually be competing with – he's helping them grow. So, he's an unbelievable human being on top of being a really good player and has a bright future."

When he first joined the staff last year after former Ravens offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris tragically passed away during training camp, Warhop had no idea who Bullock even was, but he was impressed by the converted college tackle's willingness and work ethic when it came to learning a new position.

Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Corey Bullock drops into protection for quarterback Cooper Rush in Week 2 of the preseason.
Aug 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Corey Bullock (67) drops into protection for quarterback Cooper Rush (15) during the first quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

"He really got himself prepared to play in the off season," Warhop said. "I told him, 'You need to prepare to play center.' He did that, came and competed at center. Really, from the beginning of [training] camp until we got out of camp, he was the No. 2 center. It wasn't close when you started watching it, so he's continued that."

One youngster who isn't in line to start anytime soon but is still "on the come up" in Warhop's eyes is fifth-round rookie Carson Vinson. He was the only prospect from a Historically Black College selected in this year's draft and has been a healthy scratch in all but one game thus far this season, but that could be subject to change in the near future.

"He's on the verge of challenging to be active," Warhop said. "Every week he gets better. He still has some stuff to work through, but all the young guys we have – I think we have five young guys between the practice squad guys and Carson and 'Em' [Emery Jones Jr.] – all those guys are really pushing and getting better. It's fun to watch them at practice. They give our defense all they want every day."

Unlike Bullock, who was a college tackle that projected better playing inside at guard and center, Vinson is strictly a tackle and could be poised to usurp veteran Joseph Noteboom as the Ravens' top swing tackle. With two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley dealing with an ankle injury the past couple of weeks, his primary backup position is an important situation to monitor as the team prepares to go on a run coming out of their bye.

For fans hoping that Jones Jr. will be a potential option to replace either one of Andrew Vorhees or Daniel Faalele when the team returns to action, Warhop poured a bucket of cold water on those smoldering flames. The third-round rookie is still just getting his bearings after missing all of the offseason, training camp, preseason and first six games.

"What I can tell you is that he goes hard," Warhop said. "This was his first day he could really do 'pass pro' [protection], so he did some nice stuff in 'pass pro.' So, it's hard for me to project what he does well when he's been on a limited basis to this point."

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Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

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