Ravens' Biggest Problem Can Be Solved With Day 2 Draft Pick

After the loss of three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, it became clear to everyone that the Baltimore Ravens had to get something resolved at the position.

So far, they have signed Danny Pinter and still have Corey Bullock on the roster, but those two would be just short-term solutions if anything. FOX Sports NFL reporter Ben Arthur identified center as the biggest need for the Ravens, but has a clear ideal fit for their team in the 2026 NFL Draft with Auburn's Connor Lew.

"With Tyler Linderbaum’s departure for Las Vegas in free agency, the Ravens have a gaping hole at center. It’s a spot Baltimore could address in the second or third round of the draft."

Ravens could easily replace Tyler Linderbaum with Connor Lew

Lew had a solid career with the Tigers, earning All-SEC freshman team honors in 2023. The concern with him, though, is the ACL injury he suffered last year, and that he left school a year early with less experience than draft analysts would have liked.

Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Connor Lew | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

With that being said, he's got all the tools to be a great center in the NFL, as he is only going to get bigger and stronger to dominate defensive linemen. Lew did 31 reps on the bench at the NFL Combine, but decided not to run with the ACL injury.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta has made it clear, with his lack of aggressiveness at the center position in free agency, that he is okay with working with the centers in the NFL Draft. Lew, along with Iowa center Logan Jones, is considered one of the top two prospects in this year's draft with the athletic abilities and strengths they showed in college.

The last time Baltimore went with a center in the NFL Draft, it went pretty well for them as they got three Pro Bowl selections out of Linderbaum. There's a strong chance that could happen again with Lew in the picture.

Most likely in the first round, the Ravens are looking at either an edge rusher, wide receiver, or offensive guard to add. Day 2 would be the best time for them to select Lew or Jones with their second or third-round picks.

Baltimore has backed itself into a corner: they now have no choice but to select a center in the NFL Draft, or it will have a massive problem at the position. That problem can be avoided with Lew and starting him from Day 1.

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