In 2018, the Indianapolis Colts selected Quenton Nelson sixth overall, making him one of the earliest selected guards in NFL history. Too rich for a guard?
Nobody in Indy has complained since, as Nelson has been a Pro Bowler every year since he was drafted, and the Colts have often had one of the league's best offensive lines.
Eight years later, the Ravens selected Vega Ioane at No. 14. Comparisons between him and Nelson echoed around the NFL pre-draft buzz well before Baltimore turned in the pick.
The Ringer's Todd McShay wrote that Ioane is "arguably the best guard prospect since 2018 sixth pick Quenton Nelson," and he wasn't alone.
There's good reason why Ioane and Nelson are being compared. In Friday's introductory press conference, the Ravens' new mauler said he modeled his game after Nelson.
Ioane and Nelson have a rare combination of size, strength, mobility, balance, technique, and temperament. Even though Ioane got a late start in football, beginning in high school, he's quickly become a dominant force in part because of how he studies the game.
"I was a big Quenton Nelson fan. Watched a lot of his film," Ioane said before listing off several other players.
"A lot of Zion Johnson film. Peter [Skoronski] from the Titans as well, a lot of his film. And then Trent Williams, I watch a lot of his film as well. I know he's a tackle, but he plays real well."
Left or Right Guard? How the Ravens Will Decide.
Perhaps the only question about Ioane's fit with the Ravens is where he'll line up.
Veteran John Simpson, who the Ravens signed in free agency, played exclusively at left guard the past three seasons, including in 2023 in Baltimore. In six NFL seasons, Simpson has played 76 total snaps at right guard, per Pro Football Focus.
Ioane has also primarily been a left guard, with 27 starts there the past two seasons. As a redshirt freshman, he appeared in 13 games with five stats, earning playing time at both guard spots and even a spot start at center.
Head Coach Jesse Minter said the Ravens would "figure that out" this offseason, and Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle expanded on that Friday.
"With the offensive line always, it's how do we get our five best on the field," Doyle said. "Obviously, he has a lot of versatility. That allows us to really go out and try to explore that through the offseason, through training camp, and really make it a competitive environment. Our guys are able to showcase their skillsets and where we think they're going to fit our offense best and be able to make that decision later on in camp."
Doyle said he does believe younger players are more flexible when it comes to moving from one side to the other, just because they don't have as much muscle memory built up.
Ioane Made an Impression on His Future Position Coach at His Pro Day
Ioane has already formed a bond with new Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach Dwayne Ledford.
It started when they first met at Penn State's Pro Day. Ledford put Ioane through some drills, and Ioane wanted to make sure that he displayed his physicality.
"He explained the drills. He was holding the bag," Ioane said. "I'm trying to push him on his ass a little bit.
"After we're done, he comes up to me like, 'You almost put me on my ass.' I was trying to play it off, like I didn't know I was trying to do that."
Ledford loved everything about Ioane and advocated strongly for the Ravens to draft him. When the moment came Thursday night, nobody in the war room was happier than Ledford.
"Coach Ledford was so fired up from the very beginning," Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle said. "For it to come to fruition…it was really awesome for all sides."
Ioane's Family is Large and Proud
Ioane is the youngest of nine children, and his family is joyfully sharing his journey to the NFL.
One of his favorite moments of draft night was putting a Ravens cap on his father, Aifai. Many of his family members made the cross-country flight with him Friday from Washington state to the Under Armour Performance Center for his introductory press conference.
"When I put the [Ravens] hat on my Dad, he didn't take it off for like the next two hours," Ioane said. "After that, we took a picture of the whole family. I've got eight siblings, we're all standing there. That's my entire family, that's my whole reason to be here, to make it this far. Those people are my why. I did this for them. Seeing that come to fruition, that's big to me."
Ioane's size didn't keep his older brothers from picking on him when he was little."Excuse my language, but they used to beat my ass all the time," Ioane said. "They roughed me up a little growing up, but that's just how our household was. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them."
