The Ravens have signed first-round guard Vega Ioane to his rookie contract, among other members of their 2026 draft class.
The 14th-overall pick, Ioane signed a four-year deal with the fifth-year team option, as is standard. He inked the deal Thursday, with Baltimore set to begin its two-day rookie minicamp on Friday.
Under the rookie scale, Ioane's four-year deal is worth approximately $24.2 million, according to Spotrac.
Baltimore got to work quickly inking its 11-man rookie class, with eight signing on report day: fourth-round picks wide receiver Elijah Sarratt and tight end Matt Hibner, fifth-round picks cornerback Chandler Rivers, tight end Josh Cuevas, and running back Adam Randall, sixth-round punter Ryan Eckley, and seventh-round guard Evan Beerntsen.
Considered the best guard in this year's draft, Ioane is expected to step into the starting lineup as a rookie. The 6-foot-4, 326-pound Ioane is known for his physicality and sound technique, and he will be counted on to help the Ravens re-establish their dominance in the trenches.
Head Coach Jesse Minter said the coaching staff will determine later whether Ioane remains at left guard, where he played primarily at Penn State, or moves to right guard.
Ioane didn't give up a sack or commit a holding penalty over the past two seasons. He overpowers defensive linemen and has the mobility to be a pulling blocker and get to the second level. The Ravens also love that Ioane plays with an edge.
"When I'm on the field, nobody is going to stand in front of me and survive," Ioane said after being drafted.
Ioane is a vital part of the Ravens' plan to provide a more secure pocket for Lamar Jackson, who was sacked 36 times last season, with much of that pressure coming up the middle.
"My pass protection, that's something I work on every day, same with the run game," Ioane said. "With the pass game, I'm coming in with the mentality that I'm not trying to get beat, nobody's going to touch my quarterback, it's as simple as that."
