The Ravens Were Indeed In The Sweet Spot To Land Vega Ioane At Pick 14

When Ravens GM Eric DeCosta spoke about the team being in a "sweet spot" at pick 14, many believed it was in regards to Penn State guard Vega Ioane. And they were correct

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

Sometimes it just is what it is and a sweet spot is a sweet spot and the best player available at a huge position of need is starting you in the face.

Or, in the case of the Ravens and 14th overall pick Vega Ioane, looking down at you.

It’s often the case that one of the players most consistently mocked to the Ravens ends up in Baltimore with their first pick, and as we wrote at numerous times the last few weeks, no one should be upset that this isn’t sexy enough, or get caught up in the fact that this guy is never going to catch a pass from Lamar Jackson – or at least is highly unlikely – when the Ravens needs more dudes to do that.

When Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta spoke about the sweet spot he was in at the Liar’s Lunch pre-draft press conference, so many believed he was referring to the way this draft would fall with offensive linemen, and that one of the blue chip players, if not a few of them, would be calling out to them when they got on the clock.

A Perfect Storm For Baltimore

With the Dolphins grabbing Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor a few spots ahead of them, this was essentially down to one option (with, okay, maybe Georgia’s Monroe Freeling being a consideration. And it was Ioane, because it was always more likely than not to be Ioane.

He plays with the edge they covet and a year after being exposed at the point of attack week after week on both sides of the ball, they are starting to do something about it. Every evaluator I spoke to told me 14 wasn’t too high for this guard and he has immediate Pro Bowl potential. Just slot him in at guard and let him go. A few of those execs told me they thought he could play left tackle in a pinch – if former Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley were to succumb to another injury again -and could maybe have a future out there if need be.

The guard play last year was not up to NFL standards. Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum left in free agency. This was a massive need, and keeping Jackson healthy is paramount, and the Ravens – and I absolutely believe, will – address pass catcher at some either late Thursday night or early Friday morning.

And if he ends up truly having the kind of upside one evaluator told me – who equated him to guard Quenton Nelson, a former fifth-overall pick - then the Ravens got one of the steals of a draft class that seems underwhelming at the most important positions. And guard, especially this guard, is very, very important to the 2026 Ravens.

Subscribe On YouTube For The Best Ravens Coverage: