A Solution To The Ravens Desperate Need At Center Is Right Under Their Nose

The Ravens could use all of the help they can get with their search for a starting center.

So we continue to talk to smart people around the league to attempt to help them. We came up with some trade options who have started at least a bit in the NFL, whether it be with the Raiders, who are now deep at center after signing former Ravens star Tyler Linderbaum, or the Browns. Perhaps no one wants to deal a center, even one down their depth chart, for obvious reasons.

And we already identified multiple veteran free agent options for them, that apparently general manager Eric DeCosta isn’t that high on, otherwise they’d be here by now with Organized Team Activities under way in mere hours at this point.

So what about an accomplished college center who went un-drafted because of injury but who is nearing a return. And what is he was first-team All ACC at center and comes from tremendous football lineage and his grandfather was an NFL player and Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator and he’s from Annapolis and went to Gonzaga and had a brother who played offensive line at the Ravens favorite college – Alabama -and who was immediate leader upon landing on the Florida State campus after transferring from Wake Forest.

Does that check enough boxes for you as worth a signing given the current state of the Ravens offensive linen depth chart? You think it checks enough for DeCosta?

Luke Petitbon should be on their radar.

Why Is He Available?

Petitbon excelled playing both wats at Gonzaga and made the transition to center at Wake with his snapping coming leaps and bounds. Despite lacking ideal size (yet another of these prospect in the 6-2, 305 pound range like Linderbaum was coming out of college), he makes the most of what gifts he has and is known for being a student of the game and expert at putting his quarterbacks in position to succeed by helping pre-snap.

There were concerns of a torn pec muscle after he participated in post-bowl game scouting camos , but according to sources with knowledge of the situation, it was not torn and the procedure he did undergo should put him in position to clear physicals by mid June. It’s hardly ideal timing, given that is when mini camps end and coaches and general managers go on vacation. But if the Ravens haven’t solved this issue by then – and frankly even if they have – this is a prospect they should be evaluating.

“I see a lot of Hank Fraley in him,” said one long-time evaluator who was watched a lot of Petibon’s film and believes he has a chance to start in the NFL. “A lot of his numbers coming out (of college into the draft) are similar to Linderbaum. Some teams will look at hm as ‘just a center,’ and drop him for that. But you can look at the (defensive) linemen who have come through the ACC the last two years, and put on this kid’s tape against them. (2024 First-round pick) Walter Nolan, whoever.

"This kid could be a coach one day. I’m telling you. It’s like having a coach on the field. He would make sure Lamar is in the right play. That’s the kind of kid he is, and that’s what Lamar was used to with Linderbaum. I've looked at their depth chart. Petitbon is better than the kid from Maryland (2024 un-drafted free agent Corey Bullock). That's their starting center, right there.”

Petitbon’s grandfather, Richie, is a legend in the Washington organization and it would not be surprising if the Commanders made a push to sign him. The team on the other side of the Beltway should be doing the same. He started all 12 games last season, something that hasn't happened at center or the Seminoles in quite some time, and he'll be ready to go soon.

If he's not already high on their list of injury prospects to be monitoring closely, then shame on them. And after reading this they really have no excuse not to be on him.

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