Last year, undrafted free agent Corey Bullock quickly became a Baltimore Ravens fan favorite in the preseason. Bullock made the Ravens' 53-man roster as Tyler Linderbaum's backup after a strong preseason showing. In addition to being a classic underdog story, Bullock is a local product who grew up in Maryland and spent his final year of college at the University of Maryland.
With the Ravens' revamped offensive line, though, Bullock's spot on the roster is anything but secure. As such, he'll need a strong preseason to solidify his spot on the roster.
Leading up to the Ravens' first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, head coach Jesse Minter noted that the versatile lineman could get reps at both center and guard.
Corey Bullock's path to earning a spot on the Baltimore Ravens' roster
While the Ravens lost Linderbaum in free agency, they brought in plenty of talent at the interior offensive line.
Currently, Bullock is listed as the third-string left guard on the Ravens' unofficial depth chart. He is listed behind free agent addition John Simpson and last year's starter Andrew Vorhees. The right guard depth chart reads as: Vega Ioane, Emery Jones Jr., and Evan Beerntsen.
Despite him playing center last season, guard feels like Bullock's best chance to crack the roster. The Ravens' starting center battle remains in full swing, with Danny Pinter, Ethan Pocic, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Nick Dawkins all competing for the job.
With that being said, nothing is guaranteed for Bullock. Last season, the Ravens' 53-man roster featured nine offensive linemen. If this trend continues, the Ravens will have two players at each position and one additional body. Maybe they go up to 10, or maybe they cut it down to eight.
The point being, as it stands, Bullock has his work cut out for him to make the team. Still, if he shows out in the preseason, the Ravens might have no choice but to keep him around.
There are a few paths to him sticking around. Perhaps Bullock's ability to play either the guard or center position could give him an edge as the ninth or tenth lineman. Could he jump Vorhees in the depth chart, who struggled mightily last season? It's possible but not likely.
In my eyes, though, Bullock's best path to earning one of the top eight spots would involve right tackle Gerad Lichtenhan getting cut, and Emery Jones Jr. moving from guard to tackle.
Regardless, the onus will be on Bullock to show that he definitively deserves a roster spot in the preseason.
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