Ravens’ Winner No. 2: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson’s “wins” from the 2022 draft represent a double-sided coin. On one hand, he lost his most valuable wide receiver, but on the other, his offensive line got a whole lot better. For the sake of optimism, we’re putting that in the victory column.
The Ravens selected two offensive linemen in this draft, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum and Minnesota tackle Daniel Faalele. Linderbaum projects to be a starting center while Faalele will be expected to compete against Morgan Moses for the right tackle position.
The Linderbaum and Faalele additions bolster the O-line, a major position of need heading into the draft, and the Ravens star quarterback can’t complain about the team finally getting him the pass-protection he deserves.
A career low season in 2021 saw Jackson struggle behind the offensive line, often choosing to scramble and dodge incoming defenders rather than release the ball. Hopefully, Jackson has been cured of his Mahomes syndrome and will feel more comfortable playing in the pocket and trusting his revamped O-line to keep him upright.
The Ravens’ starting offensive line for 2022 will likely consist of: left tackle Ronnie Stanley, left guard Tyre Phillips, center Tyler Linderbaum, right guard Kevin Zeitler, and right tackle Morgan Moses with do-it-all Swiss Army knife Pat Mekari able to fill in at any given spot in the line.
Baltimore should be content with that lineup — the rest is up to Jackson.