How Jovaughn Gwyn would hold up in his first opportunity as a starting center was a major question heading into the season for the Baltimore Ravens. He certainly had big shoes to fill, with Tyler Linderbaum becoming a legitimate star during his time in Baltimore.
And so far, Gwyn has been a mixed bag for the Ravens. On the bright side, Gwyn has been a force in the run-blocking game, which has helped Derrick Henry make some big plays. His 86.3 run-blocking grade via PFF (which ranks second in the league) is indicative of this.
Unfortunately, Gwyn's pass protection has been disastrous. Gwyn's 19.5 PFF grade as a pass blocker ranks the worst among starting centers. He has also allowed five pressures.
Before the season, head coach Jesse Minter made it clear that starting Gwyn was a Week 1 decision. If Gwyn continues to struggle in pass protection and puts Lamar Jackson in harm's way, his time as a starter could be short-lived. Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys could be his last opportunity or at least one of his last.
If Jovaughn Gwyn's struggles persist, the Baltimore Ravens could soon turn to Ethan Pocic
The Ravens signed veteran center Ethan Pocic late in the offseason. Pocic has started 97 games over nine seasons and has generally performed well.
Now, the big question is whether Pocic is healthy since he tore his Achilles last December. It's possible his rehab process has prevented him from playing thus far. Still, Pocic is active each week, which opens the door for him to get snaps and perhaps be a starter sooner rather than later.
While it's fair to have some concerns about how the 31-year-old will look after such a serious injury, from an experience standpoint, he'll be a massive upgrade for the Ravens. Given that rookie guard Vega Ioane has struggled early on, getting some experience alongside him could be a massive difference-maker.
Even off his injury, it's hard to imagine that Pocic will be a downgrade from Gwyn. How healthy Pocic is will be a key factor, but a starting center change could happen sooner rather than later.
The bad news for Gwyn is that he might not have many more chances to secure his starting center role. The good news is that the Cowboys should be an ideal get-right game for Gwyn.
Notably, Dallas ranks 25th in pressure rate through two weeks. As such, Gwyn has a strong chance to put his pass protection woes in the past on Sunday.
He'll have to make a statement on Sunday, but if he were to make one, the Cowboys would be an easy team to do it against. The flip side is that if Gwyn struggles against this defensive line, the chances of him keeping his starting job would be much lower.
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