At first glance, the Baltimore Ravens trading for Ryan Neuzil might seem questionable. They’re 4-5 and sent Andrew Vorhees and a 2028 sixth-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons. However, you don’t have to go far to understand the need.
The Ravens couldn’t afford another center crisis. They couldn’t afford more offensive line injuries. They’ve been through it all, and the move for Neuzil provides a safety net to prevent those problems from arising again.
Neuzil is actually a pretty solid piece, too. He’s fantastic depth to have for an offensive line that just hasn’t been able to stay healthy in 2026.
Ryan Neuzil should keep another offensive line disaster from happening
Ryan Neuzil lands in Charm City with a good chunk of experience at center. He made 38 starts there with the Falcons and looked pretty solid this year. He holds a 65.1 overall grade per Pro Football Focus, ranking 16th among centers.
That’s a guy you can trust to step up if injuries arise. And boy, does Baltimore need to be prepared for the worst on the injury front.
The Ravens have had the worst injury luck possible along the offensive line this season. They lead the league in combinations with 25 different offensive lines, and while some of that is due to incompetent blocking, most is due to injuries.
Notably, they were thrashed at center before the Cam Jurgens trade.
Before the 2026 campaign even started, Baltimore lost Danny Pinter to season-ending IR with a torn patellar tendon. That was just an intro course to what the first few weeks of their year would look like.
In Week 3, the Ravens were hit with a double whammy. Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic left the game, and it was revealed they both suffered serious injuries that would land them on IR for an extended period.
That agonizing stretch left Vega Ioane in a spot where he had to start at center, appearing in four games as the head of the offensive line. As good as he looked in those contests, you never want to have your first-round rookie guard playing a position he’s not meant to play. He needs to stay at guard and blossom into the All-Pro-caliber lineman he was drafted to be.
The Jurgens trade, and now the Neuzil trade, will prevent that from happening again.
Jurgens’ injury history makes a player of Neuzil’s caliber all the more crucial, too. The 27-year-old has dealt with foot, pectoral, and knee injuries in his career, but the most significant is his back history.
In the 2024 playoffs, Jurgens played through a herniated disc that ended up taking a severe toll on him in 2025. Like a warrior, he played through it, and although it cleared up this season, you can never be too sure with back injuries. Those tend to linger.
Acquiring Neuzil allows them to prepare for the worst-case scenario. The Ravens can stay ready if injuries arise, keep Ioane on guard, and maybe even lean on guard depth, with Neuzil having played guard in college. All the while, they’re improving by going from Andrew Vorhees to Ryan Neuzil.
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