Baltimore Ravens offensive guard Daniel Faalele struggled in his 2025 preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts. Although the team won 24-16, Faalele had a horrendous night. He posted a 40.7 overall grade per Pro Football Focus (PFF), one of the worst among starters.
As a result, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher faced a ton of criticism. The Ravens need him to take significant strides in 2025 after Patrick Mekari departed in free agency. Although Thursday night’s performance was uninspiring, it does not mean the coaching staff will give up on him.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken went to bat for his starting right guard on Tuesday. After seeing the online criticism of the 25-year-old, he put out his perspective on the situation.
“It was one play,” Monken said. “I can’t imagine any of us, one example of something in our life, and that’s who they are. That’s the silliest [thing] I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s just the way it is. It’s the world we live in. He’s a tremendous football player. He really is, and I love where he’s come.”
Todd Monken still has a ton of faith in Daniel Faalele
Faalele has not been as bad as people have made it out to be. Sure, he has his fair share of struggles, but he also exhibits traits that make him a quality starting guard. The issue is, his losses up front are really bad, and Thursday highlighted that.
In 2024, Faalele finished with a 60.5 PFF grade. He had a miserable first half, but cleaned up relatively well late in the season, and put together a string of starting-caliber performances in the postseason, as well. He has yet to become anything great, but given Baltimore’s current offensive guard situation, he might be the best option.
The left guard job was up in the air for most of the offseason, but it sounds like Andrew Vorhees has beaten out Ben Cleveland in that competition. Many want to see Cleveland battle Faalele for the right guard position now. While that could happen somewhere down the line, Cleveland’s starting reps during his tenure in Baltimore thus far have been severely underwhelming.
If Faalele’s struggles continue to become more pronounced in the coming preseason games, it may be wise for Eric DeCosta to dive into the free agent market and sign a veteran like Brandon Scherff. For now, though, that seems unlikely.
The Ravens are in win-now mode, so they will likely have a short leash on their starting guards, especially given that there are proven options in free agency. However, one bad preseason outing will not change the outlook of the starting lineup.