Ravens Expected to Hire Former Falcons OL Coach

Finding who will be the next play caller for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens offense as a whole is a headline-grabbing topic when it comes to how new head coach Jesse Minter will fill out his staff. However, another assistant spot that is just as integral to the team's success on that side of the ball is who is in charge of developing the offensive line, since games and even seasons are won and lost in the trenches.

A day after Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported that Dwayne Ledford is a "strong candidate" to join Minter's staff in that vital role, the former run game coordinator and offensive line coach for the Atlanta Falcons is expected to be hired by the Ravens according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Baltimore Ravens are expected to hire former Falcons run game coordinator/OL coach Dwayne Ledford, per source.

Ledford was with the Falcons since 2021, and helped lead a run game that finished in the top 10 in rushing the past three seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2026

The Falcons recently hired former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski to serve in the same role, and he is bringing in renowned offensive line coach Bill Callahan to replace Ledford on his new-look staff.

Ledford is a widely respected developer of offensive line talent in his own right, having been in charge of the position group for the Falcons since 2021 under then-head coach Arthur Smith. He was not only retained by Raheem Morris but also had an offensive run game coordinator attached to his title.

The 49-year-old will be replacing veteran offensive line coach George Warhop, who served in that role for the Ravens under former head coach John Harbaugh for the past two seasons. Following the tragic and unexpected passing of beloved offensive line coach Joe D'Alessandris during the 2024 training camp, Warhop was brought in as a replacement.

After Baltimore's starting blocking unit overcame some early season struggled with three new starters, they rounded into shape and became a strength down the stretch and into the playoffs, which prompted the team to bring Warhop back for a 2025 season that saw regression across the board from young players to multi-time Pro Bowlers.

Ledford, on the other hand, took the Falcons' offensive line from one of the worst run-blocking and pass-protecting units in the league and molded them into one that has finished in the top 10 in rushing yards and yards per carry in each of the past four years. Over that span, they've ranked inside of the top 10 or 11 in fewest sacks allowed over that span, with the only Pro Bowler being guard Chris Lindstrom, who has been voted to each of the last four and named Second Team All-Pro in those years as well.

His units have paved the way for three different 1,000-yard rushing season including First-Team All-Pro running back and Offensive Player of the Year candidate Bijan Robinson in each of the past two. In Baltimore, Ledford would have two established Pro Bowlers to work with, left tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum, assuming he's brought back on an extension or franchise tag. If he is put in charge of the Ravens' run game as well, he'd get draw-up plays for a pair of future Hall of Famers in Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.

Head decision maker foreshadowed change

Sep 22, 2014; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti speaks during press conference at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

After the Ravens' gamble to go young and inexpensive on the offensive line paid off in 2024, they were banking on the continuity of bringing back 4-of-5 starters would carry over in 2025, but that didn't happen.

While the Ravens still managed to finish first in yards per carry and second in total rushing yards, they gave up the ninth-most sacks. The inconsistency in pass protection played a big role in the offense as a whole looking disjointed for most of the year, and Jackson not being able to stay healthy because of all the shots he took behind the line of scrimmage.

During the Ravens' end-of-season press conference, one of the more blunt assessments that owner Steve Bisciotti gave of his team was the underperformance of the offensive line, which he put more on the poor coaching they received than a perceived lack of talent.

"I think those offensive linemen didn't improve," Bisciotti said. "When I said the coaches, that's what I meant. I think that you can look at a lot of guys on our team that we had expected to take the next step that did not take that next step. And we've got to get to the bottom of that with coaching and scouting."

Those words were spoken before Minter was hired, and all but guaranteed that Warhop would likely not be brought back, no matter who was hired to replace John Harbaugh at the helm of the team.

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