The Ravens could get a very good offensive guard in Forrest Lamp
It never is a sexy pick, but lineman are the key to a great offense. There is no doubt that the Baltimore Ravens need help on the offensive line. As it stands, there are two major holes in the line: center and right tackle. The line suffered an abundance of injuries last season, which directly affected Joe Flacco in the offense. Starting a different line combination almost every game does not provide any constancy. If they want to improve the run game and run a balanced attack, making the line better has to be a priority.
Luckily for the Ravens, they have a chance to improve the lack of depth in the NFL draft. If there is anything they do well in the draft, it is selecting offensive lineman. Two current starters on the line, Ronnie Stanley and Alex Lewis, were rookies last season. They both impressed and are the future for the line going forward.
This years draft class is deep in positions like cornerback and pass rusher, but according to Daniel Jeremiah, the offensive lineman class is not very good.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah said that this is one of the worst overall o-line draft classes that he's seen.
— Garrett Downing (@gdowning14) April 12, 2017
With that being said, it does not mean there are not good prospects. One of those prospects to look out for is Forrest Lamp out of Western Kentucky. Lamp played most of his snaps in college as a tackle, but comes in as a guard prospect. He impressed at the NFL combining, posting a 5.00 second 40-yard dash and 34 reps in the bench press. He reminds me of a Marshal Yanda. A short and stocky guard who isn’t necessarily the most athletic, but can handle lineman with ease.
The Ravens do no necessarily need a guard, but if they took Lamp they could move some people around. Alex Lewis could make the transition to right tackle, allowing Lamp to slot in at guard. That would put Marshal Yanda at left guard and Ronnie Stanley at left tackle. If you are a Ravens fan, that is a pretty good line going into the season.
Strengths
- Versatility to play guard or tackle
- Would fit into physical AFC North
- Able to hold his own face to face
- Handles the pass rush well
Weaknesses
- At 309 pounds, is a little small for a guard
- Not the most explosive off the line
- Lacks athleticism up to a point
Where will he fall?
It is an interesting one here. Lamp could go anywhere from late first round to early to mid second round. It just depends on what players are taken before him. Other than Ryan Ramczyk and maybe Cam Robinson, I do not see any other lineman being selected before Lamp.
Next: Ravens Draft: 10 Prospects That Are A Sure Thing
If the Ravens have the chance to take Lamp, they should do it. The experts say that the offensive line class isn’t great, so they should try to take a lineman early in the draft. Even if it means they have to trade up in the second or third round, it is worth it for the right player. Never count out Ozzie Newsome trading up or back in the draft. They did the same thing last year to select Kamalei Correa.