Offensive tackle
Orlando Brown
Jr., Ronnie
Starters:
Stanley
Backups: Tyre Phillips, Andre Smith Verdict: Unchanged. The Ravens have maybe the NFL’s best pair of bookend tackles, one a first-team All-Pro and the other a second-year Pro Bowl player.
The release of James Hurst does leave them without an experienced swing tackle. Phillips, a third-round pick, started at left tackle last season for Mississippi State and could back up Stanley and Brown, even if his future might ultimately be inside. Smith is 33 and will need to show he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster.
Interior offensive line
Verdict: Upgrade. Queen is the only member of the Ravens’ draft class whose rookie-year starting role seems inevitable. He’s not only the youngest but also the most talented linebacker in Baltimore, a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with Patrick Onwuasor’s blitzing potential and safety Chuck Clark’s ability to mirror tight ends and running backs in space.
Fort should remain a steadying presence inside and an asset on special teams. Board will need to show he can take the step forward the Ravens expected from him last season. Alaka spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve after a promising training camp and preseason.
Onwuasor and starter Josh Bynes, who also left in free agency, finished last season with 474 and 393 defensive snaps, respectively. Harrison might have as good a chance as any Raven at taking those. He moves well, weighs nearly 250 pounds — C.J. Mosley’s listed playing weight — and “really looks like an NFL linebacker,” general manager Eric DeCosta said Friday. Given the Ravens’ emphasis on run defense and blitz production, two strengths of Harrison’s, he could challenge for first-team reps immediately.
Cornerback