Free agency was pretty chaotic for the Baltimore Ravens. They found themselves in the center of attention after the Maxx Crosby debacle that ended in Baltimore nixing the trade, and eventually signing Trey Hendrickson.
It’s also been wild due to so many other teams going after former Ravens on the open market. The Ravens have lost 12 players thus far, and the biggest departure is undoubtedly that of Tyler Linderbaum. Sure, they signed John Simpson to try to resolve the guard problem, but it remains an immense hole that the front office will have to try to fill.
One of the key resolutions to that flaw may already be in Charm City. On a recent episode of The Mina Kimes Show, former offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr. commended Baltimore’s hiring of offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. He mentioned he trusts Ledford with figuring out the current eyesore that is the offensive line.
“[The Ravens], this offseason, pulled in one of my favorite offensive line coaches in the NFL in Dwayne Ledford,” Golic said. “He is, for my money, maybe the best pure outside zone coach in the NFL…I always like paying attention to where the good offensive line coaches sign. And he’s one where, alright, if you sold me on them taking a guy that needed a little bit of seasoning there, I trust him as a name to help get that group right.”
Baltimore Ravens’ Dwayne Ledford hiring may have fixed offensive line problem long before free agency
From 2021 to 2025, Ledford led one of the more impressive offensive lines with the Atlanta Falcons. Over the past two seasons, he was also their run game coordinator, which is an area they really took off in. Bijan Robinson has cemented himself as a top-three running back in the NFL with his guidance, and now, Ledford will hold the same role in Baltimore, guiding Derrick Henry and an offensive line in need of answers.
The question won’t be about the Ravens’ rushing attack. No matter who is in the backfield, they’ve always been capable of dominating on the ground. It just so happens that they currently have one of the best running backs in NFL history with Henry. He’s already going to do a ton of damage, but if Ledford can work his magic with the offensive line, the offense should get back to its league-shattering pace.
There’s already a talented tackle duo in place. Ronnie Stanley is very reliable, and Roger Rosengarten should continue to make strides as a franchise right tackle. The interior is what poses the horrifying problem.
Simpson should be fine at left guard, and hopefully Ledford works the penalty tendencies out of him. At the opposite guard spot, Emery Jones Jr. and Andrew Vorhees currently lead the way, each of whom is early in their NFL career; there’s still time to develop each of them into starting-caliber players.
On the other hand, the center void is almost completely unsolved. Sure, they brought in a Ledford guy, a former Atlanta Falcon, in Jovaughn Gwyn, and a veteran backup center with plenty of experience in Danny Pinter, but both are simply backups. The Ravens seem ready to target a center in the 2026 NFL Draft, and with Ledford in their corner, it may make the most sense to draft such a prospect on Day 2 or early Day 3. It could give them the best bang for their buck, potentially targeting a player with enticing traits and plenty of room to grow.
Overall, yes, the Ravens still have a ton of questions on the offensive line. They can’t put it up to chance and in-season development, while risking another year of Jackson’s prime. However, Ledford is a master at offensive line development. He may hold the answer to their problems, and should steer them back in the right direction. It was already a massive upgrade from George Warhop, and given the state of the line, it's an even smarter move. He's someone who can put the pieces of the puzzle together.