Jeff Zrebiec Predicts Who Will Start at Center for Ravens
It's not often that the center position becomes the center of attention in the offseason, but one of the hottest topics this summer around Baltimore is who will snap the ball to Lamar Jackson when the regular season starts.
Three-time Pro Bowler Tyler Linderbaum leaving to sign a market-shattering contract with the Las Vegas Raiders created a huge void at center. It was widely believed the Ravens would draft his successor, but two prospects they coveted (Iowa's Logan Jones and Florida's Jake Slaughter) went off the board earlier than expected.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said after the draft that the Ravens could explore trade options to fill the position. As it stands, the competition for the starting center job is between Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Corey Bullock. Pinter, who started 10 games with the Indianapolis Colts over five seasons, is the only candidate with starting experience.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec weighed in on the subject when fielding readers' questions in a mailbag article.
"I've been saying since the draft ended without them addressing the position that I believe the Ravens' Week 1 starting center will come from outside the organization," Zrebiec wrote. "I'm going to stick with that, although I fully acknowledge that the closer we get to the start of training camp, the more my belief in that prediction will wane. If they don't make a move, I expect Danny Pinter to win the job."
Zrebiec elaborated on trade possibilities, writing: "There seemed to be a level of confidence from team officials immediately following the draft that they'd be able to pull off a trade. I'm not saying I don't sense that same confidence, but Ravens folks are keeping their plans much closer to the vest. It's just hard to find teams that feel they have a surplus of offensive line depth.
"The name you hear most is Garrett Bradbury from the Chicago Bears. It isn't clear whether he's available, but it is easy to connect the dots. The Bears used a second-round pick on Iowa center Logan Jones. Bradbury, meanwhile, is an experienced, solid option who was coached by Ledford at North Carolina State and started in a Super Bowl roughly five months ago."
Zrebiec added that he doesn't foresee first-round guard Vega Ioane or 2025 third-round offensive tackle/guard Emery Jones Jr. getting snaps at center.
Regardless of whether the Ravens add a veteran center, Jackson said he liked what he saw from the starting center candidates at minicamp.
"Those guys are competing well," Jackson said. "They're doing a pretty good job to me. I'm liking our choices, for sure."
Ravens Named a Top Landing Spot for Tyreek Hill
There are a handful of big-name wide receivers still on the free-agent market, with the biggest being five-time All-Pro Tyreek Hill.
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell named the top five landing spots for Hill, and Baltimore was among them.
"Outside of Zay Flowers (1,211 receiving yards in 2025), no one else on the Baltimore Ravens recorded more than 450 yards receiving in 2025," Podell wrote. "Hill could provide a shot of explosiveness that the Ravens simply don't have right now, even after his gruesome knee injury."
Hill, 32, suffered a torn ACL and dislocated knee with the Miami Dolphins in Week 4 last season. He has been documenting his recovery journey on his YouTube channel.
The Ravens are excited about their current wide receiver group, but it wouldn't be a surprise if they added a veteran.
After Flowers and Rashod Bateman, the next four wide receivers on the depth chart have a combined seven career catches, all by Devontez Walker over his two seasons. Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt are rookies, and second-year return specialist LaJohntay Wester took just 58 snaps on offense last season.
The Ravens could add another wideout before the season begins, as they have several times in recent years. Who's still available?
Deebo Samuel: Samuel, who turned 30 years old in January, spent last season with the Washington Commanders, where he caught 72 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns.
Tyreek Hill: An eight-time Pro Bowler, Hill suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 last season. Prior to 2025, he'd recorded seven straight seasons with at least 800 receiving yards, including a league-leading 1,799 in 2023.
Stefon Diggs: A four-time Pro Bowler and Maryland native, Diggs had 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns for the New England Patriots last season.
Keenan Allen: After spending one season with the Chicago Bears, Allen returned to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025 and caught 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns. The 34-year-old is a six-time Pro Bowler and, when healthy, has been one of the league's most consistently productive wideouts since his rookie year in 2013.
DeAndre Hopkins: The five-time Pro Bowler spent last season with the Ravens, catching 22 passes for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Hopkins has said he intends to play another season and wants to join another contender.
Curtis Samuel: Samuel's 2025 season was cut short by injury, as he only played six games. He's spent two seasons apiece with the Buffalo Bills (2024-25) and Commanders (2023-24) after playing his first four for the Carolina Panthers.
Josh Reynolds: Reynolds has played for six teams in the past six seasons, most recently with the New York Jets in 2025. He had 11 catches for 101 yards in five games before being placed on injured reserve with a hip injury in late October.
Brandin Cooks: The 32-year-old Cooks spent last season with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills, tallying 24 catches for 279 yards.
Noah Brown: Injuries riddled Brown's 2025 season, as he only played four games in his second campaign with the Washington Commanders. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Brown's size could immediately benefit the Ravens.
James Proche: A sixth-round pick by the Ravens in 2020, Proche spent last season with the Tennessee Titans, where he tallied six catches for 65 yards in nine games.
Ioane Rises in Re-Ranking of 2026 Draft Class, Sarratt Named a Top Sleeper Pick
With OTAs and minicamps in the rearview, Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo reassessed the 2026 draft class.
Melo revisited his pre-draft big board and re-ranked the top prospects. Ioane, who was selected 14th overall by the Ravens, rose from No. 13 to No. 9 in Melo’s rankings.
"Vega Ioane was our top-ranked interior prospect and nothing that's transpired since the draft changed that," Melo wrote. "In fact, we're infatuated with the landing spot in Baltimore, as he's a people-mover who will generate rushing lanes for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. In Ioane, the Ravens are getting a perfect fit who embodies their culture and approach."
Melo also ranked the 10 best sleeper picks. Sarratt, who went to the Ravens in the fourth round at No. 115 overall, was No. 4.
"Elijah Sarratt is a Day Three playmaker who stood out during minicamp," Melo wrote. "At 6-2 and 210 pounds with 10-inch hands, he's a big-bodied receiver who overcomes athletic limitations by dominating defenders at the catch point. Sarratt was clutch for the national championship-winning Indiana Hoosiers in 2025, recording 65 receptions for 830 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens were impressed with the fourth-round rookie receiver during offseason workouts who managed to show chemistry with starter Lamar Jackson."
