Strong Draft Class for Offensive Linemen Will Help Strengthen Ravens Depth

Baltimore will look to add a starter, depth in upcoming draft.

INDIANAPOLIS — A stellar class for offensive linemen in this year's draft will benefit the Ravens.

GM Eric DeCosta should have opportunities to improve the trenches in almost every round. 

Baltimore has 10 picks in this year's draft, including the 14th overall selection. 

"If we’re in the Draft and there’s a guy there at [Pick] 14 and we like him, we’ll take him," DeCosta said. "If we’re comfortable trading back to [Pick] 20 thinking a guy might be there and he’s an offensive lineman, then we’ll take him. If there happens to be a [salary] cap casualty ... and that guy looks like he can make our team better, then we’ll probably try to swoop in. That’s basically our mindset. If a team calls us and offers a guy and we have the draft capital to make it happen, potentially that’s something that we might look at."

One player that is intriguing and has already been linked to the Ravens is Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning. At 6-foot-7,  330 pounds, he is a big, physical player that likes to dominate opponents. Penning has drawn comparisons to former Ravens offensive lineman Orlando Brown Sr. 

Other offensive linemen that could be intriguing to the Ravens are Mississippi State tackle Charles Cross, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, Alabama tackle Evan Neal, and Texas A&M tackle Kenyon Green.

"If you look at this draft class, you’re going to have, in my opinion, some really outstanding offensive linemen, for sure," DeCosta said. "You’ve got a guy like Evan Neal, who we met with last night. Extremely impressive – what he did at Alabama. [He’s] imposing, physical, strong, [a] run blocker. [He] has a chance to be an outstanding pro. Another guy [is] Charles Cross – offensive tackle. Again, just [an] outstanding athlete. [He] looks like a power forward out there in pass protection. [He’s], again, a guy I think that’s very, very gifted. Linderbaum at Iowa – a center … We’ve had very good luck with Iowa players over the years. Marshal Yanda, to me, [will be] a Hall of Famer someday. 

"When we look at a guy like Tyler Linderbaum, we see a lot of the same qualities: tough, gritty, very, very athletic, very intelligent, and smart. [He’s] the type of guy that can really be the centerpiece of your offensive line. So, teams picking in the Top 15, I think they have a chance to get themselves a really good offensive lineman.”