Ben Powers named one of Ravens’ “unsung heroes” in 2022
By Kristen Wong
The Baltimore Ravens’ roster is chockful of underappreciated gems this year, and one of them is left guard Ben Powers.
Powers was plucked out of the fourth round by Baltimore back in 2019, and just like many other Ravens’ draft picks, he’s developed nicely into a starting-caliber player at his position.
The Oklahoma product beat out Ben Cleveland and Tyre Phillips for the starting left guard job this past offseason and has started every game so far this season, playing 100 percent of offensive snaps.
The Ravens’ offensive line consists of quite a few elite starters including Ronnie Stanley, Kevin Zeitler, and up-and-coming rookie Tyler Linderbaum, though Powers has quietly set himself apart from the pack.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes of Powers’ heroics:
"Not that Pro Football Focus is the authority on such matters, but it has Powers as the top pass-blocking guard in the NFL. He probably won’t be unsung for much longer. Powers is a pending free agent, and he’s made himself some money this year."
Ravens LG Ben Powers gets recognized for his stellar play through 15 weeks of the season
Powers put himself on the map with his consistent performances and will likely be a highly coveted free agent this offseason. A dependable, quality offensive lineman is often hard to find in free agency, and there’s a good chance Baltimore will want to extend him to keep its O-line unit intact.
The Ravens’ offensive misfirings these past few weeks have hardly been the fault of the offensive line, which currently ranks fourth in the league according to Pro Football Focus.
Ben Powers, Ronnie Stanley, and the rest of the line have done well to block for the passing game, but due to a multitude of factors (play clock management, Tyler Huntley’s shortcomings as a passer, a league-worst wide receiver unit), the Ravens have struggled to inflict much damage in the air.
A honorable mention for the Ravens’ unsung hero award should be undrafted rookie Anthony Brown, who stepped in under center in Week 14 to close out the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ravens’ pass-heavy game plan in Week 15 made zero sense. dark. Next
Whether it’s Ben Powers or Anthony Brown making a resounding impact on the field, these players’ contributions won’t go unnoticed — they could be playing their way into a lucrative contract in 2023 and beyond.