OTL: An Offensive Lineman Per Round

The Baltimore Ravens saw their offensive line undergo massive changes the moment the free agency period opened on March 11.

Baltimore lost its Pro Bowl center, Tyler Linderbaum, to the Las Vegas Raiders, who signed the former first-round selection to a three-year, $81 million contract, the most lucrative deal for a center in NFL history.

A few weeks later, the Ravens also lost starting guard Daniel Faalele as he followed the team’s former head coach John Harbaugh to the New York Giants, though it was clear that offensive guard was set to be an offseason need long before he left Baltimore’s facility.

Losing Linderbaum sparked immediate response from general manager Eric DeCosta. In fact, it was the first thing he did in free agency.

The Ravens added veteran offensive guard John Simpson, who played for the team for two seasons in 2022 and 2023, shortly after the legal tampering period opened. Simpson, 28, was brought back on a three-year deal worth up to $30 million, essentially locking him into the starting right guard position.

Baltimore also added former Indianapolis Colts center Danny Pinter later in the offseason. In five years with the Colts, Pinter never exceeded 300 offensive snaps in a season, suggesting the move was simply to add depth while the team searches for its successor to Linderbaum.

Still, the Ravens’ offensive line is not being built from scratch.

The team possesses a fairly well-established offensive tackle duo in veteran Ronnie Stanley and potential breakout candidate Roger Rosengarten.

The team also has former seventh-round pick Andrew Vorhees, who was graded as the ninth-worst pass blocking guard last season by Pro Football Focus. Despite his struggles, Vorhees still aims to provide solid depth with starting experience.

Former third-round guard Emery Jones Jr., who was seldom used in his rookie year despite Baltimore’s interior offensive line woes, also sits among the team’s depth chart with many regarding him as a potential starter in 2026.

It’s a solid core, but in a division defined by relentless pass rush, the standards are simply that much higher.

One could honestly argue that the AFC North is the pass rushing best division in football.

Headlined by two Defensive Player of the Year winners in Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt, the division’s fearsome defensive lines only got stronger over the weekend after the Cincinnati Bengals dealt the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in exchange for New York Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Beefing up the trenches was always atop the list of offseason to-do’s, but as we enter draft week and rival teams continue to add playmakers to their pass rush, the offensive line becomes even more of a priority for the Ravens.

Obviously they will not select a lineman in each round, but in a draft with so much blocking talent, DeCosta and company will potentially look to add two new starters to the team’s protection unit.

Here is one protector they could add in each round of this week’s NFL Draft.

1st Round: Vega Ioane, G, Penn State

Penn State guard Olavaivega Ioane is overwhelmingly the most popular mock draft selection for the Ravens, and it’s for good reason.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 320lbs, Ioane has not allowed a sack in his last two seasons with the Nittany Lions, which saw him play a total of 1,599 blocking snaps. In 2025, he allowed just four pressures, making him one of eight college offensive guards last season to play more than 300 pass blocking snaps and allow four or fewer pressures.

Baltimore has used four of its 33 franchise first round picks on offensive linemen: Jonathan Ogden (1996), Michael Oher (2009), Ronnie Stanley (2016) and Tyler Linderbaum (2022).

Oher was the only one to not receive Pro Bowl honors in his career.

With a strong track record of drafting protectors in the first round, Ioane is the obvious pick for Baltimore should he be available at No. 14. His ceiling is off the charts.

2nd Round: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon going to the Los Angeles Chargers with the 55th overall pick.

Don’t be surprised if this guy goes much earlier, as early as Thursday, even.

Pregnon, a 24-year-old behemoth, has four years of starting experience at offensive guard for three different schools. He most recently played for the Ducks, where he was graded the second-best offensive guard in college football by PFF (86.7 offensive grade).

Pregnon has allowed one sack in his 2,576 blocking snaps across the last three seasons.

If the Ravens elect not to draft a lineman in the first round, and this guy is still available at No. 45, DeCosta should be racing to make the pick.

3rd Round: Logan Jones, C, Iowa

Who better to replace Linderbaum as the Ravens starting center than a former Iowa Hawkeye?

Logan Jones potentially projects to be the best center prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, though many experts anticipate he will leave the board in the third round.

Jones, 24, was a recipient of the Rimington Trophy, an award distributed to the best center in college football. He was ranked the second-best pass blocking center, according to PFF, while also boasting zero penalties in 766 blocking snaps.

NFL.com ranked him the third-most athletic center in the draft, as seen on film with his quick footwork and impressive physicality.

There may not be a more perfect candidate in this draft class to be the next starting center of the Baltimore Ravens.

4th Round: Austin Barber, T, Florida

Though Baltimore’s offensive tackle situation seems firm, it never hurts to add depth.

With Stanley recently turning 32 years old and an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 free agent, Florida’s Austin Barber could fit well as a developmental project.

Barber, 22, received third-team All-SEC honors in 2025, grading out as PFF’s second-best run blocking tackle in college football.

A four-year starter with the Gators, his quickness and force in the run game make him a very appealing option in the mid rounds.

5th Round: Beau Stephens, G, Iowa

If Baltimore is unable to land Jones, they still have a chance at another elite interior offensive lineman from Iowa.

Beau Stephens, a five-year member of the Hawkeyes, has all the tools you want in an offensive guard.

Graded as PFF’s best pass blocking guard a season ago, the 23-year-old’s sheer violence in the trenches makes him as intriguing a prospect as any.

His arm length admittedly poses slight concern. But, in a competitive Big Ten conference, Stephens was able to outmuscle defenders, not allowing a sack in his last two seasons as a starter.

Keep this name written down somewhere.

6th Round: Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama

Parker Brailsford is one of the more agile centers in the NFL Draft.

A two-year starter at Alabama after transferring from the Washington Huskies, he has allowed two sacks in the entirety of his college career.

He excels at lateral movement and ability to reach linebackers at the second level, which sometimes makes him vulnerable to bull rushers.

However, Brailsford has drawn comparisons to Colts center Tanor Bortolini, who had a career year in 2025. Not a bad pro comparison, if you ask me.

7th Round: Enrique Cruz Jr, T, Kansas

After Baltimore let veteran Joseph Noteboom walk in free agency, the team could be in need of a swing tackle.

Enrique Cruz Jr. fits that role perfectly.

While the Kansas tackle’s stats won’t jump off the page, his athleticism and measurable will. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 313lbs, Cruz clocked in at a 4.94-second 40-yard dash and was rated the third-most athletic offensive tackle in the draft by NFL.com.

The 22-year-old has starting experience at both left and right tackle, making him a very versatile option should DeCosta and his crew prioritize offensive tackle depth late in the draft.

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Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/04/20/out-to-lunch/otl-an-offensive-lineman-per-round/