The newest member of the Baltimore Ravens is Vega Ioane. As many predicted, the team selected him with the No. 14 pick, getting what was likely their dream first-round scenario.
Many believe that Ioane is one of the safest picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. He just produces. At Penn State, he was a game-wrecker in pass protection, and one stat is proof that Lamar Jackson is going to love him.
You might want to sit down for this one. Ioane did not give up a single QB hurry or sack in 2025. You think I’m done? No. He allowed just two sacks in 1,106 career pass blocking snaps. As he said in his post-draft interview, the 22-year-old is not going to let anyone touch his quarterback.
Vega Ioane stat proves Baltimore Ravens are ready to turn the corner in pass protection
General manager Eric DeCosta and the company could not afford to put Lamar Jackson in harm’s way again next year. He endured maybe the worst injury stretch of his career, as it felt like he was dealing with an injury every week from Week 4 to Week 18. 2025 was a straight out of a nightmare for Jackson.
Jackson’s protection really couldn’t get much worse. Their guard duo of Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele was one of the worst, if not the worst, in the NFL. Thankfully, Faalele has departed for the New York Giants, and Vorhees appears to be more of a depth piece at this point. It looks completely different, and that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.
The Ravens have made a massive effort to ensure the play in the trenches will be far better. They signed John Simpson in free agency and made a bigger, much more anticipated move by drafting Ioane. While Simpson brings some concerns with him back to Charm City, Ioane is an exciting player in almost every way imaginable.
That impressive stat backs up all the talk surrounding Ioane’s play in pass protection. He’s going to give it his all in those situations, and clearly, his all is being an immovable force. Simply dominant. However, his potential is higher than just an elite pass blocker.
There have been concerns about Ioane’s run-blocking ability, but under offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, he’ll have every chance to unlock his potential in that area. He has the size and power to win there, and judging by Ledford’s excitement to draft him, his new offensive line coach believes there’s something, as well.
Get ready Ravens fans, Ioane is going to make a name for himself.
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