Breaking down options on the O-line
Are internal players, free agents or draft picks best?
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said two weeks ago at the NFL scouting combine that rebuilding the offensive line would be the most important thing Baltimore does this offseason.
“We’re offensive-line-centric in our philosophy,” he said. “And we’ve got some question marks in our offensive line.”
With Wednesday marking the official start to free agency and the beginning of a new NFL year, some of the answers to those questions began to trickle in.
Most notably, the Ravens traded veteran right tackle Morgan Moses to the New York Jets in a draft-pick swap, and they restructured the contract of left tackle Ronnie Stanley, clearing much-needed salary cap space. Meanwhile, left guard John Simpson is off to the Jets, signing a two-year deal, and Kevin Zeitler remains a free agent.
Still, questions remain: With Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum the only returning starters up front, what will the rest of Baltimore’s offensive line look like? Here are the potential options:
A five-year veteran who has played all five positions along the line, including 39 starts, Mekari offers versatility. Of course, that could also be the reason he doesn’t end up taking over as the full-time starter at right tackle — a position at which he logged 189 snaps, compared with 388 at left tackle and three at center while appearing in every game of the 2023 regular season. The Ravens like to use him as a swing tackle and it’s easy to see why. In Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals with Stanley inactive, he held pass rusher Trey Hendrickson to zero pressures and two tackles. In Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks, this time filling in for Moses on
the right side, he had one of his best performances of the year, with an 80.1 grade from Pro Football Focus.
Daniel Faalele
While Faalele played in 12 games last season, he worked almost exclusively at right tackle, with 155 snaps there compared with 28 at left tackle. In Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he also got his highest PFF grade of the year at 71.9, with 21 of his 34 snaps coming on running plays as he filled in nicely in a tackle rotation down the stretch. His 72.4 run-blocking grade that week was also his best of the season. At 6 feet 8 and 340 pounds and just 24 years old, he could have a shot at the starting right tackle job.
Internal guard options Ben Cleveland
To say that Cleveland, a third-round pick out of Georgia in 2021, has been a disappointment is fair in the kaleidoscope of expectations and one highlight-reel moment. Everyone will remember him getting cooked by Philadelphia Eagles rookie and former Bulldogs teammate Jalen Carter in a preseason game last year, but in 16 regular-season appearances — the most of his career — he performed solidly, especially pass blocking, which has always been his strongest attribute. Against the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers in Weeks 17 and 18, he received PFF grades of 64.5 and 91.1, respectively, with 57 snaps apiece at right guard. Still, given his body of work over three years, the Ravens would probably prefer to find a more dynamic blocker for at least one of their vacant guard spots.
Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
Like a new toy, Aumavae-Laulu was something of a training camp darling, with Harbaugh touting the sixth-round rookie out of Oregon as a potential starter for the open left guard spot. Of course, Simpson easily beat him out and the massive 6-5, 325-pound Aumavae-Laulu never saw the field in 2023 with Baltimore deactivating him for all but four games. Perhaps that’ll change in 2024, but it seems unlikely he’ll get the starting nod.
Andrew Vorhees
Vorhees is an intriguing but unknown quantity. He suffered a torn ACL during the 2023 scouting combine and his draft stock plummeted, with the Ravens selecting the former Southern California star in the seventh round after trading with the Cleveland Browns. But at USC, he made 48 starts over six seasons, was a first-team All-American
in 2022 and was PFF’s highest-rated offensive lineman in the Pac-12 each of his final two years. Now healthy, he could challenge for either guard spot.
Longshots TyKeem Doss
An undrafted rookie out of Southern Miss last year, Doss spent the season on the practice squad and was later signed to a reserve/futures contract. A versatile lineman in college, he played left guard in 2020, left tackle in 2021 and right tackle in 2022, with the majority of his snaps coming at left tackle. Overall, he logged 773 snaps at left tackle, 471 snaps at left guard and 233 snaps as a right tackle. At 6-5 and 380 pounds with 35-inch arms, he certainly has intriguing physical attributes.
Tashawn Manning
Another player signed to a reserve/future contract, Manning likewise spent last year on the practice squad after going undrafted out of Kentucky. At 6-3 and 340 pounds, he has size, but lacks lateral quickness, among other things, ultimately making him a project.
Free agent options G Greg Van Roten
Van Roten ranked 15th among all interior offensive linemen and seventh among guards with a PFF grade of 75.3 as the 34-year-old had something of a resurgence with the Las Vegas Raiders last season. He was also reliable, playing 1,025 snaps across 17 games, and he comes cheap with a projected contract of $2.75 million.
OT Josh Jones
Jones has what the Ravens often covet: versatility. He has starting experience at left tackle, right tackle and right guard in his four NFL seasons. He also led the Houston Texans with 931 snaps after getting traded from the Arizona Cardinals, where he was an adept run and pass blocker with a 75.8 overall PFF grade. His production fell off last year, but the Texans’ offensive line struggled as a whole. He’s projected to make $6.5 million per year, per PFF, though that number could drop the longer his free agency goes.
Draft options Duke OT/G Graham Barton
Barton played left tackle for the Blue Devils, but most analysts project him to move inside to center or guard at the next level. His experience — 2,160 snaps across 30 college starts — and versatility would help him hit the ground running for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. However, given he’s ranked among the top 30 prospects on several big boards, the 6-5, 313-pound Barton might not be available when the Ravens pick at No. 30 overall.
Arizona OT/G Jordan Morgan
Along with Barton, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton and perhaps BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia, Morgan is among the top options who could be available at the end of the first round. The 6-5, 311-pound Morgan was a three-year starter who bounced back after suffering a torn ACL late in the 2022 season. He also projects inside at guard and might need to bulk up, but he has the potential to stick at left tackle because of his athleticism.
Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie
If the Ravens are willing to be patient, Amegadjie could be their left tackle of the future. Although he didn’t play football until midway through high school and didn’t get a chance to continue his development after suffering a quad injury this past season, the 6-5, 323-pound Amegadjie has rare length (36 ⅛-inch arms) and athleticism. If he’s available at the end of the second round, the Ravens could take the Ivy League star and mold him to be Stanley’s eventual replacement.
Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher
Fisher has all the tools to be a great lineman, but there’s a reason he might be available in the third round. Evaluators knock the 6-6, 310-pound tackle for his inconsistent technique and timing, though his overall profile is worth betting on. He’s only 20 years old with the potential to grow into a quality starter. One AFC executive told NFL.com that Fisher is “more naturally talented” than teammate Joe Alt, who is expected to be the first tackle drafted.
Kansas OT/G Dominick Puni
A former Division II player at Central Missouri who made the jump to the Football Bowl Subdivision, the 6-5, 313-pound Puni does not fit the mold of a typical stud prospect. But he improved dramatically in his second season with the Jayhawks, moving from left guard to left tackle and earning a 90.4 pass-blocking grade from PFF. Projections vary, but the Ravens might need to spend a second-round pick to land Puni.