There was skepticism among the “12s” last year about Seattle spending a first-round pick on a guard. The Seahawks drafted Grey Zabel at No. 18 overall and went on to win the Super Bowl.
Now the Ravens, a team looking to follow a similar script to the Seahawks with first-year Head Coach Jesse Minter, could follow suit.
The most popular mock draft pick for the Ravens heading into the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis was Penn State's Vega Ioane, a massively built guard who would instantly upgrade Baltimore in the trenches.
Would Ioane be a home run pick?
"For me it is," NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said on "The Lounge" podcast. "People say [there's not enough positional value at] guard. I don't care.
"He's a dominant player. He's the best offensive lineman in the draft. The Ravens love collecting Pro Bowl-caliber players and don't get carried away with positional value too much. You talk about middle of the fairway. That's a middle-of-the-fairway pick."
The Ravens' 14th-overall pick is their highest draft slot since 2022, when they selected Kyle Hamilton. Safety also isn't generally considered one of the "premier" positions (quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, pass rusher), but Hamilton has become one of the Ravens' most valuable players.
In addition to Zabel being selected in the first round last year, the Dallas Cowboys used the 12th-overall pick to grab guard Tyler Booker. Booker had a superb rookie season, finishing as the seventh-highest graded run-blocking guard in the league from Pro Football Focus.
Other first-round hits at guard include Tyler Smith (Cowboys, 2022), Chris Lindstrom (Falcons, 2019), Quenton Nelson (Indianapolis Colts, 2018), and Brandon Scherff (Washington Commanders, 2015). Collectively, they have 20 Pro Bowls.
There have been some misses, too, however. The Titans drafted Peter Skoronski 11th overall in 2023, the Chargers picked Zion Johnson 17th overall in 2022, and the Jets selected Alijah Vera-Tucker 14th overall in 2021. None have reached a Pro Bowl.
Ioane has all the tools to be a hit. He stands in at 6-foot-4, 323 pounds with a thick frame and excellent core strength. He projects as a very strong run blocker who can uproot defensive linemen to help pave the way for Derrick Henry and a physical Ravens run game.
"[A team is] going to get a competitive player out of me," Ioane said Saturday at the Combine. "An aggressive player. The mentality is to be the most physical guy out there."
