We’re about to see what Carson Vinson is truly made of. After not practicing all week with a toe injury, Ronnie Stanley was officially ruled out for the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 3 bout with the Dallas Cowboys. That almost certainly means it’s Vinson’s time to shine at left tackle.
Sunday should be Vinson’s first career NFL start. He played a handful of snaps on offense last year, and played 13 last week after Stanley came out of the game with a toe injury late in the third quarter.
Vinson had some decent moments in Week 2, but wasn’t that good. He was widely considered a raw prospect coming out of Alabama A&M. Entering Week 3 in Year 2, we’re about to see just how far he’s come since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Baltimore’s offense will certainly have a tough road ahead.
Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line faces new challenge with Carson Vinson’s expected debut
The Ravens’ offensive line is already going through it. They’ve had a rough start to the season, especially in pass protection. Through two weeks, the unit ranks 30th in pass-block win rate at 35%, according to ESPN.
Now, Ronnie Stanley hasn’t been great himself, posting a 64.2 overall grade thus far, per Pro Football Focus. However, starting Carson Vinson is a complete wild card. He’s played 27 total offensive snaps in his career.
Luckily, based on the numbers, he draws an easier test against the Cowboys on Sunday. Their defense only has two sacks to show for their efforts up to this point, and their 38% pass-rush win rate ranks 29th in the league.
Looking at it that way, Vinson might be staring down a smooth introduction to the NFL world. However, if you look at the names coming off the edge for Dallas, you might be a bit more concerned.
Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Von Miller, and Malachi Lawrence. There are some names there. It’s just that none of them are really producing right now.
Gary and Miller are the veterans. Gary has 46.5 career sacks, including 7.5 in each of the last two seasons. Miller has 138.5 career sacks and is coming off a 9-sack campaign. Although that duo has been inconsistent in recent years, they have the experience to have a field day against a green player like Vinson.
Then there’s the young guys Ezeiruaku and Lawrence. They’re largely unproven with 2.5 sacks between them. But both were high draft picks—Ezeiruaku was picked in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Lawrence is a first-round rookie. Facing an unproven tackle in Vinson, those two could hold an edge.
Where Vinson should win, though, is as a run blocker. He’s earned a 78.0 run-blocking grade in 2026, per Pro Football Focus. And truly, everyone on Baltimore’s offensive line has dominated in the run game. They lead the league in run-block win rate at 79%.
If you want to make Vinson as comfortable as possible, feed Derrick Henry. This has the makings of a big Henry game, and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can’t overthink that.
Still, this is also Lamar Jackson’s blindside we’re talking about. It’s one of the most important positions on the field. Sure, Jackson’s escapability is second to none, and Henry can dominate on the ground, but if the offense wants to bounce back, they need Vinson to look at least somewhat competent.
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