The Baltimore Ravens improved their roster this offseason. Honestly, they improved it dramatically. The offensive line got tougher. The pass rush became more explosive. The defense feels deeper, faster, and more aligned with what Jesse Minter wants it to become. Eric DeCosta and his staff attacked multiple weaknesses during free agency and the draft, but despite all the optimism surrounding the roster overhaul, one conversation refuses to disappear. What is this team going to do about the center position, the anchor of its offensive line?
No matter how much excitement surrounds Olaivavega Ioane, Trey Hendrickson, or the Ravens’ young defensive additions, analysts continue circling back to the same uncomfortable question. Who replaces Tyler Linderbaum following his defection to the Las Vegas Raiders?
To Baltimore’s credit, the organization absolutely upgraded at offensive guard. Replacing Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees with Ioane and John Simpson feels significant. The Ravens got more athletic, more physical, and probably more reliable up front. That certainly matters. For a while, guard looked like the glaring weakness of the offensive line. Now? It may quietly become one of the roster’s strengths, but the center position still hangs over everything. Honestly, it should.
Many expected Baltimore to address the position during the 2026 NFL Draft. They didn’t, and everyone noticed. Whether the board simply failed to cooperate or the Ravens genuinely liked the internal options more than outsiders realized, the result remains the same. Baltimore enters camp without a proven replacement for the former All-Pro centerpiece of its offensive front.
That naturally reopened the conversation recently when another NFL analyst revisited Baltimore’s biggest remaining roster concern because, beyond the optimism, the reality is simple. As ESPN’s Aaron Schatz stated in his take on every team’s biggest roster need, the Ravens currently enter the season relying on projection more than certainty.
“The Ravens were unable to retain Tyler Linderbaum and now have a major hole at the center position. Corey Bullock, a 2024 UDFA, has played a grand total of 13 offensive snaps during the regular season. Jovaughn Gwyn has played 11 snaps in three seasons with Atlanta… The alternative might be to move over a guard such as Andrew Vorhees. Available veterans on the free agent market include Ryan Kelly, Ethan Pocic and Liam Eichenberg.”
All of this is what keeps names like Nick Dawkins interesting. The undrafted rookie from Penn State Nittany Lions football already carries built-in chemistry with Ioane, and Baltimore has a long history of turning overlooked linemen into meaningful contributors.
Still, asking an undrafted rookie to stabilize the middle of a contending offensive line feels risky. That’s why the conversation persists. The Ravens may have solved several major roster concerns this offseason, but until someone firmly establishes himself as Tyler Linderbaum’s successor, however, center will remain the one position capable of making even Ravens fans slightly uncomfortable.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: ESPN believes Ravens still have a glaring offensive hole