The Baltimore Ravens offensive line went from an area of overwhelming strength to a big weakness overnight. John Simpson and Morgan Moses are both suiting up for the New York Jets, and Kevin Zeitler's departure for the Detroit Lions could force backups like Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland into starting roles.
Vorhees essentially redshirted last season, as the former USC star fell from Day 2 to the seventh round after tearing his ACL at the NFL Combine. If he is going to be the starter after the recent departures, some analysts seem to believe Vorhees will make good on all his draft hype.
On First Take, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. opined that getting Vorhees back into the fold is like Baltimore essentially picking up a second-round or third-round player for free this season. Kiper is very bullish on what Vorhees can do in this offense, calling him a "plug-and-play starter at guard" in the 2024 season.
Vorhees, who said he is "stronger than ever" after his injury, was regarded as a clear Top 100 player in the 2023 draft when healthy. If the Ravens believe his talent is equal with that exalted status, they could shun the idea of making a veteran addition and let the former Trojan establish himself.
Mel Kiper Jr. says Andrew Vorhees is like the Ravens having an extra second- or third-round pick this year.
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) March 20, 2024
"He’s a guy that I think is a plug-and-play starter at guard this year."
Mel Kiper Jr. believes Andrew Vorhees could be "plug-and-play starter" for Baltimore Ravens
According to Arif Hasan's consensus big board, which aggregated around 70 prospect rankings from the top analysts in the NFL sphere, Vorhees ranked 124th overall. He was ranked as the third-best guard in the class behind O'Cyrus Torrence and Chandler Zavala, even with his injury.
Had he been healthy, Vorhees would've likely slotted behind Torrence as OG2 last year. Even with concerns about his overall athletic ability and his third lower body injury, Vorhees was a rock-solid player with experience at both guard spots and left tackle in what was a very long, productive college career.
Vorhees has a powerful upper body and explodes off the ball. In a power-running offense like Baltimore's attack, Vorhees might be able to make a fairly seamless transition to the starting lineup. No one doubted that his film from USC made him look like a player who would eventually be competing for a starting role in the pros.
While the Ravens could stand to make a few veteran additions to the offensive line after losing 60% of their starters from last year, it seems like Baltimore has a great deal of trust in some of their internal prospects.