The Ravens failed to make the postseason for the fourth time in five years, but where exactly did their players stack up across the NFL in 2017?
Whether it’s discussing the Pro Bowl or picking postseason awards, media and fans spend much time debating where players rank at each position, but few put in the necessary time and effort to watch every player on every team extensively enough to develop any kind of an authoritative opinion.
Truthfully, how many times did you closely watch the offensive line of the Los Angeles Chargers this season? What about the Detroit Lions linebackers or the Miami Dolphins cornerbacks?
That’s why I can appreciate projects such as Bleacher Report’s NFL1000 and the grading efforts of Pro Football Focus. Of course, neither should be viewed as the gospel of evaluation and each is subjective, but I respect the exhaustive effort to grade players across the league when so many of us watch only one team or one division on any kind of a consistent basis. It’s important to note that the following PFF rankings are where the player stood at the conclusion of the regular season.
Below is a look at where Ravens offensive linemen ranked across the league, according to those outlets:
Running backs
Defensive linemen
Tight ends
Cornerbacks
Wide receivers
Inside linebackers
Ronnie Stanley
2017 offensive snap count: 1,010
NFL1000 ranking: 12th among left tackles
PFF ranking: 31st among offensive tackles
Skinny: The 2016 first-round pick may not have taken the leap toward Pro Bowl territory as many had hoped after a strong finish to his rookie campaign, but Stanley still did a good job protecting Joe Flacco’s blindside. It’s fair to want him to reach another level, but nagging injuries have held him back at times.
James Hurst
2017 offensive snap count: 1086
NFL1000 ranking: 49th among guards
PFF ranking: 58th among guards
Skinny: The former undrafted free agent has been maligned throughout his career, but he showed substantial improvement at left guard after years of struggling at tackle. Set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, Hurst is a useful backup because of his versatility and work ethic.
Ryan Jensen
2017 offensive snap count: 1086
NFL1000 ranking: 8th among centers
PFF ranking: 9th among centers
Skinny: After years of nondescript work as a backup, Jensen became the anchor of an offensive line that lost both starting guards to season-ending injuries before Week 3. In addition to strong blocking and physicality, the pending free agent offers a much-needed attitude and should be a priority to re-sign.
Matt Skura
2017 offensive snap count: 739
NFL1000 ranking: 75th among guards
PFF ranking: 76th among guards
Skinny: Despite beginning the regular season on the practice squad, Skura soon emerged as the starting right guard after Marshal Yanda was lost for the season in Week 2. His ability to play all three inside spots makes him a valuable backup, but I’m not yet convinced he can be a starting center as some hope.
Austin Howard
2017 offensive snap count: 1082
NFL1000 ranking: 25th among right tackles
PFF ranking: 37th among offensive tackles
Skinny: The veteran got a late start in training camp and was far from spectacular, but he provided the Ravens what they probably should have expected. Howard dealt with nagging injuries at various points, but he started all 16 games and remains under contract with a $5 million cap figure for the 2018 season.
Jermaine Eluemunor
2017 offensive snap count: 198
NFL1000 ranking: 73rd among guards
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: John Harbaugh made it clear that Eleumunor was a developmental prospect, but injuries forced him into action at various points. The London native brings intriguing upside for someone who hasn’t been playing football for long and is someone to watch over the spring and summer.
Marshal Yanda
2017 offensive snap count: 102
NFL1000 ranking: n/a
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: There’s no understating how much Baltimore missed the six-time Pro Bowl guard as his dominant play and leadership have been mainstays. Yanda will be 34 and carries a $10.125 million cap figure in 2018, an uneasy combination for any player — even an elite one — coming off a major injury.
Luke Bowanko
2017 offensive snap count: 90
NFL1000 ranking: n/a
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: The veteran appeared in all 16 games and made one start, but he’s scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent and is unlikely to be a priority to re-sign.
Andrew Donnal
2017 offensive snap count: 21
NFL1000 ranking: n/a
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: The former Los Angeles Ram played sparingly upon being claimed off waivers in mid-November, but he’s under contract and could serve as a cheap replacement for Hurst as a reserve offensive tackle with some NFL experience.
2018 positional outlook
With all indications pointing to Yanda and 2016 starting left guard Alex Lewis being on schedule with their respective rehabs, the only major concern on paper is at center with Jensen likely to receive plenty of interest if he hits the open market. The Ravens have limited cap space and other major needs on the offensive side of the ball, but the center position has frequently been an Achilles heel since the retirement of Matt Birk after the 2012 season. A strong anchor at the position is critical in Greg Roman’s blocking schemes that include plenty of pulling guards, and merely turning the job over to Skura or 2017 fourth-round pick Nico Siragusa is very risky with neither having played an NFL snap at center. I’d be more inclined to go younger and cheaper at right tackle by releasing Howard to create more cap resources to re-sign Jensen, who finally blossomed into an above-average center in his first full year as a starter.
