Ravens: Ben Powers ‘taking advantage’ of starting LG opportunity
By Kristen Wong
The Baltimore Ravens still have a tight position battle at left guard heading into the season, and lineman Ben Powers has a good chance of coming out on top.
All eyes are on who will make the final cuts for the roster, but another competition worth watching is that of the starting left guard job.
Following a strong showing in Saturday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, Powers has seized every opportunity Baltimore has given him this preseason. And he’s ready to reap the rewards.
Ben Cleveland, who the Ravens picked in the third round in the 2021 NFL Draft, is Powers’ main competition, and he just returned to practice on Monday after suffering a concussion.
Once the favorite for left guard, Cleveland will have to catch up to Powers now, since the third-year lineman has been impressing on the field and getting deserved praise from Greg Roman.
Powers has taken most of the first-team reps this preseason while Cleveland and Phillips could only watch from the bench.
Ravens' Ben Powers has "taken advantage of the opportunity bestowed upon him" at left guard, OC Greg Roman said.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 25, 2021
It hasn't been much of a battle for that spot because Ben Cleveland (concussion) and Tyre Phillips (ankle) have been banged up recently.
Baltimore Ravens lineman Ben Powers has an edge in starting left guard position battle
The Ravens have since plugged several players at left guard with no one downright winning the position.
It was originally a three-way battle between Powers, Cleveland, and second-year lineman Tyre Phillips, but after both Cleveland and Phillips missed time due to injury, Powers has soared into coaches’ good graces.
Powers played in all 16 regular-season games in 2020 and in the pair of playoff games as well. He has the most experience of the three and could use that to his advantage given how well he knows the Ravens’ defensive scheme.
Baltimore ranked No. 1 in the NFL’s rushing attack last season when the Ravens set a franchise-record 404 yards rushing their regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Powers may not have been the anchor of that mighty offensive line, but he still had a major role in blocking for the run.
The rest of the Ravens’ offensive line is pretty much set in stone. Baltimore still has a potential future star in the young and raring Cleveland, but this preseason, Powers has always been at the right place at the right time.
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As luck and fate would have it, Powers could earn the starting left guard position at the Ravens’ final preseason game against Washington this weekend.