ExtremeRavens Posted 8 hours ago Posted 8 hours ago During the NFL scouting combine, mock drafts fell in love with the idea of Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane falling to the Ravens with the No. 14 pick. ESPN, The Athletic and The Ringer, among others, foresee the marriage of a team in need of blocking help and a 6-foot-4, 320-pound plow. Ioane left quite an impression at the combine. So much so that Ravens fans might soon consider learning how to pronounce his name (oh-lie-vah-VENG-ah yo-AH-nay). He goes by Vega, for short. “I’m a really bad guy,” Ioane told NFL Network’s Stacy Dales, “but in a good way. I want to kill somebody out there.” That’s the kind of energy Baltimore needs in reshaping its porous offensive line, which allowed 45 sacks this past season. The guard play was a particular hitch, and draftniks see Ioane as a Day 1 starter who could replace pending free agent Daniel Faalele or 2023 draft pick Andrew Vorhees on the interior defensive line. Rising sophomore Emery Jones Jr. should compete for the other guard role. In 2025, Ioane played 310 pass blocking snaps. He didn’t allow a single sack and surrendered just three pressures. There were viral moments, too: leveling a UCLA linebacker, driving an Oregon defensive back à la Michael Oher in “The Blind Side” and man-handling other Big Ten pass rushers displaying his brutish side. The other clip the internet ate up was more of a nod to his character. It was during a tumultuous stretch in State College, Pennsylvania, weeks removed from Penn State firing its longtime coach, James Franklin. Ioane and his teammates trudged up a ramp off Ohio State’s field. Buckeye fans heckled relentlessly. Vibes were low. Then the camera caught Ioane’s massive frame leap over a partition to help an equipment manager push a bulky cart — equal parts big-boy athleticism and empathy. It was a small moment, but NFL decision-makers weigh everything when investing capital into a player. He’s one of nine children. Ioane started playing football as a high school sophomore and his parents were woefully unaware for the first three weeks of the season, assuming that he was just hanging with friends on a Friday night. “Now, they love football,” he said at the combine. How exactly the Ravens handle their first-round pick will drive discourse until April 23, when the war room in Owings Mills phones a decision to league officials. Offensive line is a priority. So is the need for edge rushing help. The Ravens might be intrigued by a premier wide receiver, too. They’ll likely address all three through a combination of free agency and the draft. The majority of mock drafts — as of early March — like Ioane to Baltimore. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote, “Ioane is one of the best players in the draft, although his lack of positional versatility could help him land in Baltimore’s lap.” ESPN’s Jordan Reid believes that Ioane has the “feet, strength and base” to protect Lamar Jackson. The Ringer’s Danny Kelly pointed out how if the Ravens go this route, Ioane would “bring some nasty” to a run game that already ranked near the top of the NFL each of the past two seasons. What makes Ioane special is that he’s fundamentally sound, can bully defenders into the second level and is agile for his size. He has exceptional recall as well. When a reporter at the combine asked for a play he could show prospective NFL teams, one that exemplifies who he is as a blocker, Ioane casually rattled off specifics: “Nebraska game, play 28, pin and pull play. Northwestern, play 45, man-on-man block, ran over 15 yards and dumped him.” The Ravens don’t often draft offensive linemen in the first round, but they tend to hit when they do. All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley was selected sixth overall in 2016, and center Tyler Linderbaum went No. 25 in 2022. Before Stanley, they picked Oher in the first round in 2009. If the Ravens go down the offensive lineman path, it’s likely either Ioane or Utah’s Spencer Fano who wind up in Baltimore. Fano played tackle each of the past two seasons but said at the combine he’s willing to change positions if it helps his career trajectory. Of course, all that could change with how the Ravens address concerns in free agency. Perhaps they restructure Jackson’s contract and looming $74.5 million cap hit to spend considerable money on an edge rusher. Perhaps they see value in a free agent offensive lineman and pivot to using the first-round pick on an edge rusher or receiver. What if there’s a defensive back prospect available who excites the war room? At the end of the day, general manager Eric DeCosta’s best-available approach will prevail. “In the first two to three rounds,” he said, “you’re really going to focus on if this is the best player at this pick with the idea of need.” There’s a decent chance that 13 picks go by and Ioane is still available. Plenty of first- and second-iteration mock drafts think it makes sense. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn.x.com. Sam appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. View the full article Quote
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