The Baltimore Ravens are entering the 2025 NFL regular season with a stacked roster. With all the talent, most roster spots have already been finalized. Still, there are many backup roles available.
One area of the offense where the Ravens have focused on developing heavily this offseason is the offensive line. Versatile offensive guard Patrick Mekari signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March, leaving the competition for left guard wide open. Head Coach John Harbaugh announced Andrew Vorhees won that job, but given that many of the team’s guards are unproven, the depth will be critical.
One lineman that appears to have carved out a spot in Baltimore is center Corey Bullock. The 23-year-old offers center and guard versatility, and with one preseason game to go, his play thus far screams someone deserving of a 53-man roster spot in 2025.
Corey Bullock looks like the clear winner for the backup center job
The battle to back up Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum is down to Bullock and Nick Samac. Samac, entering his second season, has yet to stand out; he was a healthy scratch in all 17 regular-season games in 2024. Now, two games into the preseason, it appears he is falling behind Bullock.
Bullock made a statement in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. He was the third-highest graded player on the Ravens’ offense, registering an 81.8 overall grade on 35 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. This comes off a solid showing against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, where he delivered a 71.7 grade. He outperformed Samac in both games.
In addition to these strong performances, Bullock has also been seeing starting reps. In both preseason matchups, he led the offense's operations as the starting center. He is becoming a clear favorite of the coaching staff, and even quarterback Cooper Rush, who commended his play and communication throughout the game against Dallas.
“@RunItUpCorey’s fantastic... Guys were going to the right places, that’s all Corey” @rush_cooper pic.twitter.com/FfuHoOdK86
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 17, 2025
Another area where Bullock has the edge over Samac is versatility. He starred as an offensive guard at the University of Maryland, an area where Samac has not seen many snaps recently. If the Ravens lack any sort of confidence in their starting left or right guard, then Bullock would be the logical choice.
Heading into Baltimore’s Week 3 preseason game against the Washington Commanders, Bullock has a chance to put the nail in the coffin. Harbaugh suggested the team will likely keep nine offensive linemen this year, so Bullock’s final showing will be crucial. For now, though, he should be in high spirits.