PFF shamefully snubs overlooked Ravens starter (and he should be outraged)

The Baltimore Ravens own the best rushing attack in the NFL. The two-headed monster of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield has terrified defenses since day one of their partnership, and the team’s success in 2024 shouldn’t be shocking. Much of this success is thanks to a tremendous offensive line. One starter, though, isn’t getting his flowers.

In a recent article, Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked the top 32 offensive guards ahead of the 2025 season. No Ravens made this list, and for Daniel Faalele, it’s complete disrespect.

Faalele might be the most underrated lineman in football

In 2024, the script changed for Faalele. He had mostly been getting snaps at offensive tackle since his college days, but the Ravens kicked him inside to right guard last year. It was the best move they could’ve made. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher had the best season of his career, earning Pro Bowl Alternate honors by the end of the regular season. 

Being ranked outside the top 32 offensive guards is ludicrous, as Faalele helped the Ravens running game plow through the trenches in 2024. Throughout his campaign, there were some struggles and inconsistencies, but the 25-year-old was one of the backbones up front.

Baltimore had every grain of confidence in Faalele last season. He logged the 11th most offensive snaps in the league with 1,107 and the most run-blocking snaps at 529. He played nearly every snap for the RavensFage in 2024 at 99.73% and affirmed the coaching staff’s trust with his solid showing. And he should demand respect from everyone else.

Looking at his grades, Faalele showed drastic improvements from 2023 to 2024. PFF gave him an overall grade of 49 in 2023. In 2024, the move to guard saw him jump to a grade of 60.5. He also proved slightly above average as a pass protector with a 63.2 grade on pass-blocking downs. 

It’s also important to remember that Faalele began playing football at age 16. A position change in the third year of your NFL career, while still relatively new to the game compared to most of your competitors, should've been difficult, but Faalele made a smooth transition. 

His 2023 to 2024 turnaround and seamless transition shouldn’t have ranked him as not just one of the better guards in 2024 but one of the top 32 when projecting the 2025 season. As Faalele continues to grow, he will become more acclimated to his new spot at guard and should become a better version of himself this upcoming season.

Faalele is one of those guys on Baltimore’s offense that deserves more praise than he’s getting. Heading into 2025, the team is showing no signs of slowing down, and Faalele can silence the haters by helping push the Ravens into another historic offensive run this year.

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