It was only a couple years ago when Roger Rosengarten, then a rookie, went viral for a wholesome moment when he called himself a "nobody" while asking then-Cleveland Browns superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett for his jersey.
"You ain't never a nobody," Garrett told Rosengarten.
As he enters Year 3, Rosengarten feels ready to establish himself as one of the best at his position (and thankful not to have to face Garrett twice a year).
"Building from my first and especially my second year and the growth I had there … [I built] that foundational block to where I can establish myself as one of the elite right tackles in the game," Rosengarten said on "The Lounge" podcast this week.
"We have a lot of good ones too. When we talk tackles, I definitely want to be in that conversation."
Pro Football Focus graded Rosengarten as the No. 12 right tackle in the NFL last year and No. 4 among right tackles in the AFC. While Rosengarten acknowledges that Baltimore's offensive line play as a whole wasn't up to snuff in 2025, he made improvements across the board individually.
His PFF pass blocking grade went from 69.2 as a rookie to 73.4 in Year 2, as he gave up 10 fewer pressures and one fewer sack. His run blocking grade jumped from 60.4 to 74.8, and he feels poised to continue making his biggest strides in that area this season.
Rosengarten still looked back on what he could have done better last season, but with a new coaching staff, scheme, and players around him, it's a new chapter for the Ravens' offensive line and himself.
Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle and Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford have installed a fresh offense with more emphasis on the outside zone running scheme. Mobility is one of Rosengarten's strengths, and he will likely be on the move more this season than his previous two years.
"Me and a lot of guys are starting from a clean slate, from the ground up," Rosengarten said.
"With Declan coming in and Coach [Ledford] coming in, those guys have formulated a really good plan for the offensive line and me. Specifically for my game and what my strong suits are, I think it fits me to a tee."
The change at right guard is also going to help Rosengarten and the Ravens, as first-round pick Vega Ioane will replace Daniel Faalele, who departed in free agency. Rosengarten raved about Ioane's "veteran mentality" and "detail in his work."
"With the plays we're running, I couldn't tell if he's been in the league for five years or this is his first year," Rosengarten said. "The strides he's made, along with the technique he has and God-given ability, it's exciting. V's a stud.
"It feels like I've been playing with the guy for a couple years. I feel like that connection between myself and him is going to be really strong on the right side."
Rosengarten is also excited about the Ravens' addition of John Simpson at left guard and said he remembers watching Simpson "killing dudes" on film. The big question remains at center, where Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn are the leading candidates to replace departed Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum.
Rosengarten went to Linderbaum's wedding this offseason and gave his friend a hard time for leaving Baltimore for a huge payday in Las Vegas.
"Losing Tyler stung," Rosengarten said. "I was happy for him, but I was a little bummed, too."
Rosengarten felt the opposite when he got news from Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley that the Browns traded Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. Rosengarten joked that all offensive tackles in the AFC North probably did a fist pump.
With all the additions and subtractions, Rosengarten expects this to be a banner year for himself and a rebound for the Ravens' offensive line.
"Last year was not the year we wanted, especially up front," he said. "I think it's going to be a lot better. That expectation is going to be set high, but I think we're willing to challenge it."
