The Ravens returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2014, but where did their players stack up across the NFL in 2018?
Whether it’s discussing the Pro Bowl or determining postseason awards, media and fans spend much time debating where players rank at each position, but few watch every player on every team extensively enough to form any type of an authoritative opinion.
Truthfully, how many times did you watch the offensive line of the Detroit Lions this season? What about the Oakland Raiders linebackers or the San Francisco 49ers cornerbacks?
That’s why I appreciate the grading efforts of Pro Football Focus while acknowledging these rankings shouldn’t be viewed as infallible or the gospel of evaluation. I can respect the exhaustive effort to grade players across the league when most of us watch only one team or one division on any kind of a consistent basis.
Below is a look at where Ravens offensive linemen ranked at their positions followed by the outlook going into 2019:
OT Ronnie Stanley
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 1,085
PFF ranking: 17th among offensive tackles
Skinny: Stanley was fourth among qualified offensive tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking grades and was named a second alternate to the Pro Bowl in his third season. The sixth overall pick of the 2016 draft may never become a perennial Pro Bowl tackle, but he’s been solid and reliable despite some nagging injuries.
G Alex Lewis
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 707
PFF ranking: 67th among guards
Skinny: Hopes were high for Lewis as he returned from shoulder surgery that cost him all of 2017, but injuries and disappointing play led to him being inactive for the final five weeks of the season. After another shoulder surgery this offseason, he likely finds himself on the roster bubble entering 2019.
C Matt Skura
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 1,189
PFF ranking: 23rd among centers
Skinny: The former practice-squad member and undrafted free agent probably held up as well as the Ravens could have expected in his first year as the starting center and was one of only two Baltimore linemen to start all 16 games. That doesn’t mean the organization shouldn’t seek an upgrade, however.
G Marshal Yanda
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 1,163
PFF ranking: fourth among guards
Skinny: After shaking off early rust from missing most of 2017 with an ankle injury, the 34-year-old reclaimed his spot as one of the NFL’s best guards and was named to his seventh Pro Bowl in eight years. Yanda is entering the last year of his deal and has been noncommittal about how much longer he’ll play.
OT Orlando Brown Jr.
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 760
PFF ranking: 47th among offensive tackles
Skinny: Considering how disastrous Brown’s showing was at last year’s scouting combine, the Ravens should be thrilled with the play of the third-round rookie over his first 10 starts. It’s fair to note Brown received help in many pass-blocking situations, but he still looks the part of a solid NFL starter.
OL James Hurst
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 676
PFF ranking: 68th among offensive tackles
Skinny: Many were surprised by the four-year, $17.5 million deal Hurst signed last March, but a back injury cost him the right tackle job and he struggled at left guard upon returning in December. He’s always been best suited for a backup role, but he carries a $4.75 million salary cap hit for 2019.
OL Bradley Bozeman
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 214
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: After being a two-year starter at Alabama, the sixth-round rookie flashed in limited playing time at left guard. Depending on what the Ravens do in free agency and the draft, Bozeman could compete for a starting job and has a strong chance to stick around as a versatile interior backup at the very least.
OL Jermaine Eluemunor
2018 offensive snap count (including postseason): 94
PFF ranking: n/a
Skinny: Eluemunor spent a few weeks on the practice squad, but he elevated his organizational stock slightly and showed some versatility when he filled in for an injured Stanley at left tackle. The 2017 fifth-round pick will still need a strong spring and summer to secure a roster spot as a backup.
2019 positional outlook
Trying to evaluate the 2018 offensive line is difficult when considering the moving parts due to injuries and the dramatic shift in playing style when an injured Joe Flacco was replaced by Lamar Jackson at quarterback. The Ravens ranked 31st in the NFL at just 3.6 yards per carry through the first nine weeks of the regular season — a greater indictment of the line and running backs than Flacco — but they became the most prolific rushing team in the league over the final seven weeks of the regular season with Jackson at quarterback and young running backs Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon replacing Alex Collins and Buck Allen. The offensive line certainly deserves credit, but it’s fair to ask how much with Jackson’s special athleticism putting great pressure on opposing run defenses. Baltimore’s offensive line was 10th in PFF’s season-ending rankings and ranked eighth in pass protection by Football Outsiders, but it’s difficult to look at the individual grades and not believe the Ravens would benefit greatly from an interior upgrade or two, especially factoring in Yanda’s advancing age and uncertain future.
