As we prepare for the start of training camp on July 27, here's a look at how each position group is shaping up:
The Ravens can pencil in four of their five offensive line starters right now. Assuming Stanley is ready to go after his ankle rehab, he'll be the starting left tackle. Free-agent addition Moses will be the starting right tackle. Zeitler will man right guard, and rookie first-round pick Linderbaum will be at center. If Stanley isn't ready to play Week 1, things get more complicated. James could step in at left tackle, or perhaps Moses could kick to that side. Either way, the Ravens are in a better position than they were last season without Stanley.
The real competition on the offensive line is at left guard. That will be one of the best in camp considering whoever wins will probably be slated for 100% of the offensive snaps. Four players figure into that mix: Mekari, Cleveland, Phillips and Powers. Any one of them could pull it out.
Mekari's primary strength is his versatility, so the Ravens may want him as their sixth offensive lineman ready to step in wherever instead of locking him into one spot. However, if he's one of the best five offensive linemen, it would be tough to keep him on the sideline until an injury. Phillips won the job out of training camp last year but suffered an injury in Week 1 and has bounced between injuries and playing right tackle to fill in for others. The Ravens drafted Cleveland in the third round last year envisioning that he would take over as a starter at some point, and he finished last season as such. But he's also dealt with injuries that have kept him out of games and practice. Powers has started 19 games the past two seasons, so he holds the experience advantage.
The Ravens have enough veteran depth at tackle with Stanley, Moses, James and Mekari that they could probably give Faalele, the fourth-round rookie, a redshirt season if they wanted. The hulking 6-foot-8, 380-pound blocker is looking to get into better NFL shape and sharpen his tools. However, Head Coach John Harbaugh said of Faalele," he going to play this year, there's no doubt about it." It will be interesting to see how quickly Faalele can get up to speed and whether the Ravens could use him as an extra point-of-attack mauler in some situations.
As part of our pre-training camp down time, we debate some of the biggest topics facing the Ravens as they enter the 2022 season.
Lamar Jackson and Bernard Pollard call a truce. Mark Andrews remains outside the top three in ESPN's tight ends rankings. Ronnie Stanley is still ranked among the top 10 offensive tackles.
The Ravens have four spots locked up with one or two up for grabs as of now.
Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum are almost certain to play major roles, and many rookies could see regular snaps.
Watch for Lamar Jackson to be a fantasy star after the Ravens' offseason moves. Takeaways from Warren Sharp's 2022 football preview. Jackson gets into Twitter exchange with former Ravens safety Bernard Pollard.
As part of our pre-training camp down time, we debate some of the biggest topics facing the Ravens as they enter the 2022 season.
Will the Ravens sign more pass rushers? How does Kyle Hamilton fit into the secondary? When will we see J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards?
The lead dog is clear, but there will be jockeying for roles behind All-Pro Mark Andrews.
Two free-agent edge defenders the Ravens could target. Rams All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey has Lamar Jackson's back. Orlando Brown Jr. is not close on an extension with the Chiefs and a holdout is expected.
The Ravens know their two leaders once healthy, but there's a strong competition for who backs up J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.
Veteran outside linebacker Justin Houston, who has 102 career sacks, has agreed to terms with Baltimore.
Copyright © 2020 Baltimore Ravens. All Rights Reserved.