Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry will sleep well Thursday night, as the Ravens made a big investment in their trenches with the selection of guard Vega Ioane with the 14th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Ioane has long been the most popular mock draft projection for the Ravens for good reason. As General Manager Eric DeCosta said before the draft, Ioane is "straight from central casting."
Ioane is a 6-foot-4, 326-pound self-described "mauler" who the Ravens can plug into the offensive line as an instant starter with a high ceiling. Jackson was sacked 36 times last season, and the Ravens are serious about re-establishing their dominance in the trenches.
"Physical, tough, and very athletic for his size," DeCosta said after making the pick. "[He's] excellent in pass protection and a great fit for our offense and what we're trying to accomplish. And we're just very, very happy to have him here."
Ioane's tape speaks for him. He didn't give up a sack or commit a penalty over the past seasons. He moves defensive linemen off the line of scrimmage, yet has the mobility to be a pulling blocker and get to the second level. Head Coach Jesse Minter said he liked that Ioane is scheme versatile.
The Ravens can do whatever they want with him paving the way. The only question may be whether he plays right or left guard, where he primarily lined up at Penn State. Minter said they'll figure it out later.
Then there's the mentality. Ioane has the power to toss linemen out of the club and the temperament to make sure they don't come back.
"When I'm on the field, nobody is going to stand in front of me and survive," Ioane said.
In a draft class that many pundits said didn't have many blue-chip prospects, the Ravens got the consensus best guard, who they can count on to excel for a very long time. The highest the Ravens had ever drafted a guard previously was No. 29 with Ben Grubbs in 2007. He eventually became a two-time Pro Bowler, including in his fourth and final year in Baltimore in 2011. DeCosta said the hope and goal will be for Ioane to become one of the best guards in the league. He has the tools.
Multiple draft analysts said Ioane is the best guard prospect since the Colts' Quenton Nelson, who was drafted sixth overall in 2018 and has gone to eight Pro Bowls.
The Ravens could have drafted Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., who slipped down the board and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the next pick. Instead, they opted for Ioane, who was immediately called the "safest" of the first round by the ESPN crew because it made the most sense and Ioane is such a clean prospect.
"[Bain is] a great selection by the Bucs, I think – but he would've made a great Raven. Those are the tough decisions that we have to make," DeCosta said. "But in the end, I really feel like we got a guy that really fits us, personality-wise and ability-wise, and just everything that we want our guys to be, I think Vega kind of epitomizes that."
The Ravens' need was clear after they lost Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum in free agency. They signed veteran guard John Simpson to man one guard spot, and now used a first-round pick on Ioane to lock down the other. Two towering guards in the middle of Baltimore's offensive line, with Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten at the tackle spots, should make the Ravens offense better up front despite Linderbaum's exit. It should also help Jackson and Henry thrive.
Ioane is excited to play with the two superstar Ravens and said he has to "earn my keep."
"With the pass game, I'm coming in with the mentality that I'm not trying to get beat," Ioane said. "Nobody's going to touch my quarterback. It's as simple as that."
Ioane said he had a "good feeling" the Ravens would take him after he took a top-30 visit to the Under Armour Performance Center about two weeks ago. He noticed all the mock drafts projecting him to Baltimore.
"A lot of good people, a lot of good staff members in there," Ioane said. "It was more of a family environment than a work environment and that's exactly what I look for. I had a good feeling because everybody was saying stuff."
The youngest of nine children, Ioane said he had 40 family members with him and about 80 total people at his draft party in Washington. Now he's part of the Ravens' family, and feels at home in the AFC North.
"That's exactly what I want. I want to go nowhere else where it's soft football," Ioane said. "Football is meant to be physical and all those types of things. That's exactly where I think I can fit in."
