Baltimore Ravens fans have long been begging John Harbaugh to give 2025 third-round pick Emery Jones Jr. a chance amid Daniel Faalele's and Andrew Vorhees' struggles. Jones missed the start of the season with a shoulder injury. The rookie guard returned to practice in October but (somehow) wasn't activated until the Ravens' Week 12 game against the New York Jets.
Thankfully, head coach John Harbaugh finally gave Jones a chance in their Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While the game ended with a 32-14 loss for the Ravens, and Jones wasn't perfect, he had some encouraging moments, and it was refreshing that he got a chance.
Harbaugh seemed to be impressed with Jones, which could lead to more opportunities for him to close out the season.
"I thought [Jones] played hard," Harbaugh said. "And showed some athleticism and some fight, and some gusto. Played like a rookie in a lot of ways. There are a lot of things to clean up, I think he'd be the first to tell you that. But you can't really start making those improvements until you play... We'll just see going forward how much we want to continue that as we go."
Emery Jones is primed to play more
Jones played in 27 percent of the Ravens' snaps last Thursday, filling in for Vorhees on 16 snaps. He was able to make an immediate impact with his power and athleticism; his style gave the Ravens a nice change from Vorhees.
The LSU product was far from perfect, posting a 47.9 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade and committing a holding penalty. However, his 67.6 PFF pass blocking grade is a clear positive. This number exceeds Vorhees' season average of 59 and Faalele's season average of 61.5.
All 16 of Emery Jones snaps in his debut vs the bengals last night pic.twitter.com/msAjR6kgDP
— Yuri (@Yuri_Ravens) November 28, 2025
Jones' physical gifts jump off the screen. He needs to work through some growing pains, but there's no denying that he gives the Ravens' o-line more upside. As Harbaugh hinted at giving Jones more reps will help him grow, and there was a lot to like about his NFL debut. Protecting Lamar Jackson has been a key issue for this Ravens squad, and Jones could be the spark they need.
He likely won't steal Vorhees' (or Faalele's) starting job immediately, but it sure seems like Harbaugh is ready to (finally) give him a consistent role. And if Jones performs well, he may eventually earn a starting spot to close out the season.
As the 6-6 Ravens fight for a playoff spot, Jones could play a significant role in their success.