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Baltimore Ravens 2019 NFL Draft class superlatives

By Mike Reid

MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 23: Marquise Brown #5 of the Oklahoma Sooners catches and runs for a 45 yard touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 23, 2018 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV - NOVEMBER 23: Marquise Brown #5 of the Oklahoma Sooners catches and runs for a 45 yard touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 23, 2018 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Running back Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates with teammate offensive lineman Ben Powers #72 after scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Running back Rodney Anderson #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates with teammate offensive lineman Ben Powers #72 after scoring on a nine-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The pick who could become a starter mid-season: Ben Powers (G, pick #123)

If you need to know one thing about guard Ben Powers it is this direct quote, “What motivates me is I love taking a grown man’s dreams and crushing him”. That quote of Powers was from a Big 12 media day back when he was at Oklahoma. That kind of mentality is what the Ravens are looking for in an offensive lineman.

Powers is a rock-solid guard with 3 years of starting experience for one of the top offensive lines in the country. He transferred from junior college to Oklahoma in 2016 and by his senior season in 2018 he was a consensus All-American. Where Powers excels is in pass-protection, he didn’t give up a sack in his senior season. According to Pro Football Focus, Powers only allowed 21 total pressures in 1,177 passing situations during his Oklahoma career.

Next. 3 things the NFL Draft taught us about the Ravens offense. dark

As a rookie Powers should come right in a battle for the starting left guard job with veteran James Hurst. Hurst has had his ups and downs as a starter during his career and is also often injured. As just being a veteran Hurst may win the job in camp. If his play is poor or he gets hurt though, Powers has the ability to be plugged right in at left guard. It could be an eerily similar situation from last year, where fellow Sooner Orlando Brown Jr. took Hurst’s job at right tackle mid-season and never gave it up as he played extremely well as a rookie.

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