James Hurst could very well be the starting right tackle for the Ravens

While there are options for free agent lineman, James Hurst may very well be the starting right tackle for the Ravens

The offensive line was a major inconsistency for the Baltimore Ravens last season. Injuries caused a number of players to miss games. Because of this, the Ravens threw out a ton of different line combinations. This offseason didn’t help their cause after losing starting right tackle Rick Wagner in free agency.

It’s obvious that right tackle is now the biggest need, but what options are there?

The only free agent that makes sense right now is Ryan Clady, but he’s 30 years old and carries a big salary with him. He’s also dealt with injuries that limited him to only nine games last season. It doesn’t seem worth it to bring him in. It’s a short term solution to a long term problem.

So what does this mean? This means that James Hurst could very well be the starting right tackle for the Baltimore Ravens this season.

Related Story: Should the Baltimore Ravens sign Ryan Clady?

Unfortunately, that doesn’t come with a ton of confidence from Ravens fans.

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They don’t seem to be too happy about it and I’ll admit that I’ve been the same way. We’ve seen a lot of struggles from Hurst in the past.

The struggles have been there

Hurst has had his fair share of struggles on the offensive line.  When he started eight games for the Ravens back in 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him as one of the worst at his position. 

"One could make the case that Hurst has actually played worse, because his struggles are all around. His run blocking grade of 27.9 is the third-worst among any tackle to take a snap, and his pass blocking grade of 26.1 is second-worst. His 29 pressures allowed has led to a pass blocking efficiency of 89.4, which is also lower than we’ve ever recorded among starting tackles."

Not to mention, Hurst was the one who was pushed into Joe Flacco when he suffered a torn ACL. People have not been shy to point that out. The inconsistencies have been there throughout Hurst’s career. He has been in an out of the starting rotation as a lineman, starting 18 games over the course of his three year career.

The benefit of the doubt

As much as the struggles have been there, I really want to give Hurst the benefit of the doubt this season. It’s hard given his serving sample, but the Ravens might not have any other option. Hurst only entering his fourth season and plenty of improvements can still be made. We could very well see a jump in his play. I want to see what he can do this season before making a full judgement.

Ravens beat reporter Bo Smolka highlighted Hurst as one players who is trending after OTAs. 

"The Ravens acknowledge the search for offensive line help continues, but they saw enough from Hurst this spring that he took virtually every rep as the starting right tackle in the workouts open to the media."

Smolka points out that De’Ondre Wesley and Stephane Nembot don’t seem to be ready so Hurst is getting the majority of the reps with the starters.

This is definitely a positive. Being able to get first-team reps from the start of the offseason is a major advantage. This allows for that consistency going into this season. New offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris also talked about Hurst’s good start to the offseason.

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I’m not saying James Hurst is going to be perfect, but if the Ravens don’t make another move in free agency, he’s the best option at right tackle. It’s the reality of it whether you like it or not.