One Thing the Ravens Cannot Afford to Get Wrong in the NFL Draft

The Baltimore Ravens fell well short of their lofty preseason expectations in 2025.

They spent all spring and summer being praised for how loaded and well-balanced their roster was on both sides of the ball and went from being overwhelming favorites to make it to the Super Bowl out of the AFC to missing out on the playoffs entirely for just the second time in the Lamar Jackson era and first in which he finished the season healthy.

One of the biggest reasons they weren't able to string together enough wins and live up to the hype was their inability to consistently dominate in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Their pass rush went from one of the best in the league to tying for the third-fewest sacks. The play at both offensive guard spots was so inconsistent and, at times, downright deplorable that it played a large role in the regression of the blocking unit as a whole and in Jackson having his most injury-riddled season to date.

In free agency, the Ravens got aggressive in addressing their pass rush by signing four-time Pro Bowl edge defender Trey Hendrickson to the largest free agent deal in franchise history and reuniting with veteran left guard John Simpson.

They got outbid by the Las Vegas Raiders in their attempt to retain three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, signed some interior depth pieces, and unsurprisingly let Daniel Faalele, who started every game at right guard for them for the past two seasons, walk, and he eventually ended up following former head coach John Harbaugh to the New York Giants.

Fortifying interior of the offensive line remains top priority in NFL Draft

Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (71) against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl. — Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane (71) against the Boise State Broncos during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While bringing back Simpson was a good start, losing Linderbaum was a huge blow for the Ravens, given that the 2022 first-rounder did a stellar job anchoring their offensive line since being inserted into the starting lineup right off the bat as a rookie.

As much faith and excitement as the front office and new coaching staff might have in returning players, they can't rest on their laurels at either center or right guard. Former 2024 undrafted free agent Corey Bullock served as Linderbaum's primary backup last season, and 2025 third-rounder Emory Jones spent most of his rookie season recovering from injury and saw some rotational action at guard late in the year.

Neither of their presences on the roster should dissuade the Ravens from using high draft capital to find more suitable replacements or at least stiffer competition than Jovaughn Gwyn and Danny Pinter.

Thankfully, this year's crop is littered with talent at both guard and center and should provide the Ravens with ample opportunity to address both spots in the early to middle rounds. Two of the most popular prospects projected to be taken by them in the first round are Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane, the top guard prospect, and Utah's Spencer Fano, who can play all five positions on the offensive line at a high level.

If they opt to wait until the second round to address the guard spot, there will still be plug-and-play prospects to be had, such as Georgia Tech's Keylan Rutledge, Texas A&M's Chase Bisontis, Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon and Iowa's Gennings Dunker

There aren't any natural centers worth taking in the first round, but there is expected to be run on the position sometime on Day 2, with the third round being viewed as the sweet spot where the Ravens could have their pick of the litter. Some names to monitor include the likes of Auburn's Connor Lew, Kansas State's Sam Hecht, Florida's Jake Slaughter and Iowa's Logan Jones, who succeed Linderbaum in college.

Day 3 will still offer plenty of prospects who can come in and compete at either or both spots. Similar to Fano, Duke's Brian Parker also has five-position flexibility. A late-round center to keep an eye on is Alabama's Parker Brailsford, and some guard prospects who could come off the board between the fourth and fifth rounds, where Baltimore holds five picks, include another Iowa Hawkeye in Iowa's Beau Stephens as well as Auburn's Jeremiah Wright and Notre Dame's Billy Schrauth.

"All the way through [there are] players that we think will be good value in the sixth and seventh rounds that hopefully could fall to us," general manager Eric DeCosta said. "That's a nice position for us to be in. Last year, I don't think the offensive line board was probably quite as robust."

Whether they use their top overall pick to address one of the two spots or two of their remaining 10 after the first round, the Ravens can't afford not to attack the interior of their offensive line in the 2026 NFL Draft during a pivotal offseason for the franchise with a new head coach in Jesse Minter and new jerseys with the 'Next Flight' collection.

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