OTL: What Should Ravens Fans Watch for at the Combine?

This week represents a major event on the offseason calendar: it’s Combine week.

2025 NFL Scouting Combine schedule

(Feb. 24th-March 3rd): pic.twitter.com/rYzqGk9pgW

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) February 24, 2025

Mock Drafts abound at this time of the NFL offseason, but if this year’s Combine is like most, the projections we see right now are going to have huge shakeups by this time next week. The Combine has the capacity to influence how we view these prospects more than any other singular event, so it’s important to see which prospects increase their profile, which ones have some caveats to consider, and most importantly, which ones can help the Ravens where they are now.

The good news is that last year’s offense was the best the franchise has ever had. That’s saying something when there were still some concerns about consistency along the O-line, but some of the guys who were more maligned earlier in the year really turned it around.

Yes, this is a Daniel Faalele thought.

Every OL last season that played 1,000+ snaps and gave up either 0 or just 1 Sack:

Trey Smith (0)
Creed Humphrey (0)
Tyler Linderbaum (0)
Joe Thuney (0)
Elgton Jenkins (1)
Chris Lindstrom (1)
Sam Cosmi (1)
Penei Sewell (1)
Quinn Meinerz (1)
Daniel… https://t.co/EG1N8F0siU pic.twitter.com/Fm8wM23kIZ

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) February 24, 2025

How the Ravens’ offensive line performed in 2024

Some big decisions ahead this offseason for Baltimore pic.twitter.com/Ly4XtMQ0vO

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) February 24, 2025

Faalele and Tyler Linderbaum’s presence on that list create some serious confidence in the trenches as you move forward, but questions about the stability of Guard play linger, and of course, you have to take into account Ronnie Stanley’s potential departure. You also have to wonder how much of that is consistency with the line in pass protection and how much of it is Lamar Jackson being that dude.

The Lamar Jackson effect pic.twitter.com/cccIQrrNIv

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) February 22, 2025

From an offensive standpoint, the recipe for the Combine seems simple enough. The front office already knows if they’re planning on making Stanley an offer to return. If he doesn’t, they’re going to have to use the best of their resources on getting another bookend tackle, whether or not they plan on moving Roger Rosengarten to the blindside. This means that OT is worth watching this coming week, but there are a few prospects at Guard, like Alabama’s Tyler Booker, to keep an eye on, as well as players who can move around on the line like Missouri’s Armand Membou and WVU’s Wyatt Milum.

Meanwhile, the defensive side of the ball seems to be where the work needs to get done. The Ravens didn’t make it easy on teams down the stretch…

Best team defense “Havoc” rates in 2024.

Havoc is defined as the percentage of plays where the defense got a pressure, tackle for a loss, interception, forced fumble or pass breakup:

1. DEN
2. DET
3. CLE
4. PHI
5. MIN
6. TB
7. BAL
8. HOU
9. GB
10. KC
11. SEA
12. PIT
13. CHI
14.…

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) February 23, 2025

…but so many of those pressure situations were tantalizingly close to creating more, and they failed to do so. The Ravens need a winner up front, and with their cap situation, free agency seems like a pipe dream if you’re looking for a true difference-maker at EDGE. Unless they can somehow get a guy like Azeez Ojulari on the cheap end, they’re going to need to find a consistent disruptor who increases their overall pass rush win rate, and they’re going to need to find that guy with the odds historically stacked against them.

The drop off in value halfway through the first round suggests otherwise https://t.co/LvgvcU7YvG pic.twitter.com/m26lKj2KaB

— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) February 24, 2025

I’m not alone in thinking that the Ravens should use some of the additional Draft capital they have this year to explore a trade up. I doubt you see them make a major swing for something like a top 10 selection that would require a major sacrifice, but I wouldn’t put it past the front office to explore trading up in front of Pittsburgh to get into the top 20. You can bet that Cincinnati probably won’t even answer the phone if Baltimore calls, but Seattle might be worth talking to at pick #18. Between the coaching staffs being very familiar with each other and the fact that the Seahawks really don’t need EDGE help, maybe there’s a deal to be done there.

There are plenty of prospects for whom they might want to improve their position, and my eyes are going to be locked on that EDGE group. If they can get into the market for Marshall’s Mike Green or Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart, run that card up. Still, we’ll have to be patient this week and see if anyone has a real breakthrough, or maybe a down week that starts their fall right into Baltimore’s lap.

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