Ravens news: Pro Football Focus ranks Ronnie Stanley No. 4 best tackle

It’s no secret Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley is good. But his 2019 efforts resulted in Pro Football Focus naming him a top-five tackle.

Most Baltimore Ravens fans wanted then-general manager Ozzie Newsome to select a skill player with the team’s first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Perhaps a top-flight wide receiver or maybe a stud pass-rusher.

Instead, Newsome selected former Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley with the sixth overall pick. It wasn’t flashy — picks to reinforce the offensive line seldom are — even though smart GMs build up teams through the trenches.

Four years later, Newsome’s move has become quite the selection. And of note, Baltimore landed it’s pass-rusher, Matt Judon, later on in Round 5 that year.

Back to Stanley, he became an immediate starter for head coach John Harbaugh and hasn’t looked back, developing into one of the better offensive tackles in the league, arguably better than the best-perceived tackle of that year’s class, Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil. And while Stanley’s overall pro career has been excellent, his 2019 efforts put him into an elite category.

At least according to Pro Football Focus, who recently compiled its list of the 25 best offensive tackles heading into 2020.

Stanley was ranked No. 4 behind the Kansas City Chiefs’ Mitchell Schwartz, the New Orleans Saints’ Ryan Ramczyk and the Green Bay Packers’ David Bakhtiari.

Tunsil, meanwhile, ranked 11th.

PFF’s justification for Stanley being so high on the list:

"Stanley took his play to the next level in 2019. The fourth-year tackle posted a 93.3 pass-block grade and a 76.2 run-block grade, making him one of three tackles to rank in the top 10 at the position in both metrics last year. And it’s not like his elite-level play as a pass blocker was heavily influenced by the Ravens’ offense, either. On true pass sets (i.e., no play action, screen, designed rollout or quick throw), Stanley still ranked first in pass-block grade. He had always been an above-average player at the position prior to 2019, but he has now solidified himself as one of the NFL’s premier tackles."

What the above description tells us is Stanley is now one of those players considered capable of playing in nearly any offensive system. He doesn’t need the complex run-game calling of offensive coordinator Greg Roman to find success. Nor does he need the all-too-frequently discussed RPOs to build up his evaluatory criteria.

No, Stanley is merely an all-around darned-good tackle; No. 4 on PFF’s list, at least.

Now, however, Stanley’s uptick in production stemming from his 2019 Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro efforts could end up resulting in quite the payday.

Ronnie Stanley won’t come cheap for Ravens

Stanley will play on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option in 2020, worth $12.86 million. Tunsil, meanwhile, signed a three-year, $66 million extension with the Houston Texans during the offseason, $40 million of it guaranteed.

Considering Stanley is seen both by PFF and the Associated Press as a noticeably better performer four years into the pro ranks, it’s safe to assume Stanley is going to be getting quite the dollar amount between now and his next deal.

“I’m not really thinking about it,” Stanley told NBC Sports Washington’s Andrew Gillis last spring. “I’m kind of in no rush when it comes to that right now. I’m not really worried about it, per se.”

Currently, Baltimore is slated to be roughly $16 million, not including 2020 rollover, shy of the projected $175 million salary cap in place for 2021. Assuming Stanley’s new deal is worth more than $22 million annually, it’s not hard to see where the Ravens could get into some financial trouble without having to make some serious moves elsewhere on the roster.

That said, a player like Stanley doesn’t come around too often, and Baltimore’s offensive line isn’t just better with him in it.

It’s better because of him in it.