Why this season will be a critical one for the Ravens’ offensive line

Last season’s Super Bowl opponents were strikingly similar. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles both went 16-3, scored 546 points and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. But there was another, more significant, commonality integral to their success: a dominant offensive line.

While much has changed in football through the decades, there’s little argument that having a great offensive line goes a long way. Of the 20 teams to play in the past 10 Super Bowls, 12 of them had an offensive line that finished in the top 10 of Pro Football Focus’ annual rankings. Last season, the Eagles’ offensive line was the best in the NFL, per PFF, while the Chiefs were fourth.

The Ravens weren’t far behind: PFF graded them as the league’s second-best offensive line, and for good reason. In addition to being the least penalized unit in the NFL, All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s return in Week 5 from a devastating ankle injury that cost him nearly all of 2021 and half of 2020 was an immediate boost, as he allowed just one sack and 16 total pressures in 298 pass-blocking snaps during the regular season. The emergence of first-round pick Tyler Linderbaum and fourth-year left guard Ben Powers also paid dividends, with Linderbaum being rated by PFF as the fourth-best run blocker among centers and Powers getting the second-highest pass blocking grade among guards.

Though Powers left in free agency for the Denver Broncos in March, Baltimore again figures to have one of the league’s best offensive lines. And while the Ravens have filled their biggest needs this offseason — signing quarterback Lamar Jackson to an extension, adding wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie Zay Flowers and signing cornerback Rock Ya-Sin — this season will be an important one for the men up front for several reasons.

First, the Ravens have a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, and thus a new scheme.

Under previous coordinator Greg Roman, Baltimore had a run-heavy offense that leaned on running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, along with Jackson. Already this offseason, Monken has talked about the need to have more dynamic play-calling to keep up with teams like the Chiefs and AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson noted last week that “running can only take you so far.”

Make no mistake, Baltimore will still run the ball plenty. But pass blocking will be critical, if for no other reason than to keep its $260 million quarterback upright. Jackson has missed 11 games the past two seasons, including a wild-card round loss to the Bengals in January, because of injuries.

The philosophy under veteran and respected offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris might not be any different, but there will be at least some adjusting.

“It’s been a good transition,” Linderbaum said last week. “[Monken’s] doing a really good job at helping the guys, verbiage-wise keeping some similar stuff. There are little tweaks here and there.”

One of those changes is who will take over at left guard.

The four players coach John Harbaugh has mentioned as possibilities are Patrick Mekari, Ben Cleveland, John Simpson and Daniel Faalele. However, Mekari’s versatility might make him more valuable as a swing tackle than an every-down starter, while Faalele has never played guard in the NFL and is better suited to remain at tackle. The Ravens also drafted Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and signed former Chicago Bears center and Owings Mills native Sam Mustipher, though the former is more of a project and the latter is expected to back up Linderbaum.

That likely means the competition this summer will come down to Cleveland and Simpson, both of whom have been inconsistent.

Still, Harbaugh has liked what he has seen out of Simpson in the voluntary offseason program so far. The 2020 fourth-round pick who spent his first three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders is eager for the fresh start.

“[Simpson’s] talented, moves his feet,” Harbaugh said last week. “He’s really moving his feet well, working on his balance and his platform a little bit, and I think [he’s] getting better every day at that. And [he’s] a big, strong guy, [a] good athlete. [I’m] excited about him.”

While left guard isn’t the most important position on the line — it’s generally where teams stash their weakest blocker because the center can help chip or double team — it’s not the only position the Ravens need to worry about up front.

Though starting tackles Stanley and Moses are both signed through at least the 2024 season, several other linemen are due to hit unrestricted free agency next year or the year after, including Simpson (2024), Cleveland (2025), Mekari (2025) and Kevin Zeitler (2024), along with fullback Pat Ricard (2025).

While rookie Andrew Vorhees could take over as the starting left guard as soon as next season after he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered at the NFL scouting combine, there are still plenty of question marks about the future of the interior of the offensive line. Cleveland has played just 21 games in two seasons after being drafted in the third round, and Zeitler, who turns 34 next March, could decide to leave in free agency or retire.

In other words, this could be a make-or-break season for much of what’s expected to be one of the NFL’s best offensive lines. Their cohesiveness, growth and success would go a long way toward the Ravens’ success.

“[The] Ravens offensive line is going to be [the] Ravens offensive line,” Linderbaum said. “Come off the ball, push people back.”

It’ll have to for the Ravens to be Super Bowl contenders.

()