Ravens' Ronnie Stanley Ranks Surprisingly Low Among OTs

The Baltimore Ravens' main goal entering free agency was simple: retain longtime left tackle Ronnie Stanley.

After years of battling injuries, Stanley, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, bounced back in a big way in 2024. He not only played every regular season game for the first time in his career, but held up very well, particularly in pass protection. As a result, he earned the second Pro Bowl selection of his nine-year career, albeit as a replacement.

The Ravens then rewarded Stanley with a three-year, $60 million extension before he could hit the open market, despite other teams reportedly preparing to offer him more money. Though Stanley may have taken a hometown discount, that may actually be closer to his value at this point.

Pro Football Focus' Zoltan Buday ranked Stanley at No. 23 among NFL offensive tackles, which seems a bit low given his performance last season.

"Once considered to be arguably the best young offensive tackle in football, Stanley has not been the same since his injuries," Buday wrote. "However, his 2024 campaign was a glimpse of what he is capable of when healthy.

"Stanley played more than 1,000 snaps for the first time since 2019, and his 1,221 snaps were actually a career high. He also put together a very strong season as a pass protector, garnering an 80.9 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked 16th among offensive tackles."

To be fair, it's not hard to see why some may have reservations about Stanley. Not only has he dealt with injuries, as previously mentioned, but he's entering his age-31 season this fall. His longevity is certainly a question.

That said, Stanley showed last season that he's still more than capable of being a quality blindside blocker for Lamar Jackson. If that's the level of play the Ravens can expect going forward, then they'll be more than happy.