Ravens OT Falls Just Short of Top 10

The Baltimore Ravens' star left tackle bounced back in a major way last season.

Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley (79) on field prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

For Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, the 2024 season marked a career renaissance.

Stanley, 31, struggled with injuries for years beforehand, as he played just 31 of a possible 67 games between 2020 and 2023. In 2024, though, he not only played all 17 games for the first time in his career, but played very well too. He only allowed two sacks on the year, and his 79.6 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranked 21st among 140 qualified tackles. He also earned his second career Pro Bowl selection, albeit as an alternate.

After his bounce-back performance, Stanley has reasserted himself as one of the better offensive tackles in football, but not quite on the level of the elite. Stanley missed the top 10 offensive tackles in a poll of NFL coaches and executives, conducted by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, but he did earn an honorable mention.

"I thought he played better last year than the year before. Was more consistent," an NFL personnel evaluator said.

There's no shortage of great offensive tackles in the NFL, so Stanley earning an honorable mention is still impressive. If he continues to play like he did last year, he could even find himself on the list proper next year.

The Ravens are well aware of his worth, though, as they signed him to a three-year extension worth $60 million in March just before he could hit free agency. Heading into his 10th NFL season, he wants to stay healthy and prove his team made the right decision.

"I was happy with way I played," Stanley told reporters on March 17. "I was specifically, I think just my mindset that I had throughout the whole year – I think that's what was probably the thing that made me the happiest. I thought I played well. I still think I can play better, and that's just how I am. But I do think there's a lot to improve on, just getting stronger, smarter, understand the game more, better footwork, all the little things. And I think that's what's allowed me to play for as long as I have, is there's always little things that can get better, and those things add up and then people are looking like, 'Oh, he's doing something crazy.' But it's really just little things."

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