Ravens Preview: Offensive Success Starts With Key Position Group

The Baltimore Ravens' offense has consistently been one of the NFL's best throughout the Lamar Jackson era. They've always been dominant on the ground, and more recently, they've been very effective through the air as Jackson continues to improve as a passer.

While Jackson and the skill players around him obviously deserve a ton of credit for leading the offense as they have, none of this success would be possible without the big boys up front.

While the unit obviously hasn't been perfect over the years, Baltimore's offensive line has consistently been one of the league's better units, allowing the likes of Jackson and Derrick Henry to run wild. That should be no different this season.

On the outside, the Ravens have about as good of a tackle situation as one could ask for. Ronnie Stanley, who's been the team's starting left tackle since is arrival in 2016, is back after an exceptional 2024 campaign, in which he played all 17 games for the first time. Roger Rosengarten, the team's second-round pick in 2024 who started 14 games at right tackle last season, should only improve as he enters Year 2.

"After last season, I know I wanted to immediately take a little time off, but it was immediately hitting the gates for me," Rosengarten told reporters on June 10. "Personally, physically getting in the weight room, getting faster, bigger, faster, stronger, and just building onto Year 2, because now I know, I've got the ropes [down] to everything, and this is where my confidence and my play starts to really take its next level step."

By contrast, the interior is where most of the questions lie. Center Tyler Linderbaum is one of the best in the league, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of the past two seasons, but the guards could be cause for concerns.

At right guard, Daniel Faalele returns after an up-and-down first season as starter, in which the coaches praised him but fans constantly derided him. Left guard is the more interesting position, though, as Andrew Vorhees, Ben Cleveland, rookie Emery Jones Jr. and more are competing for the job. No matter who wins the competition, their job won't be easy.

"I believe in a starter," offensive line coach George Warhop told reporters. "I don't like playing two guys. So, we [have] two veteran guys here with Andrew and Ben. [We'll] let them fight it out. If one of the young guys comes up, and they can add competition to that, we'll let that happen. But, I prefer to have a starter and a backup. I don't like going in with [a] combination [of] guys, so that's my hope."

The Ravens' offense once again figres to be one the best in the league, if not the best. Again, though, that all relies on the big boys doing their part.