The Baltimore Ravens fulfilled one of their biggest needs in free agency when they signed Ronnie Stanley to a new three-year deal to keep him in purple.
However, the Ravens were unable to retain interior offensive lineman Patrick Mekari, who signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
Due to Mekari's departure, the Ravens are expected to fill that void rather quickly with one of their 11 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 33rd Team writer James Foster believes guard will be the first position the Ravens look at in the draft, taking Alabama's Tyler Booker with the No. 27 overall pick.
"Having re-signed Ronnie Stanley, the Ravens have two offensive line positions up for grabs and they select Tyler Booker," Foster writes.
"Booker is the most physically dominant offensive lineman in this class and Alabama players call him the Will Anderson of offense. At 348-pounds, he has a dominant anchor and is completely unfazed by power rushers."
Booker should fit right in with the Ravens if he were selected to join Baltimore. Though it may be high to take an interior lineman in the first round, Booker is a plug-and-play prospect that should be in contention to start Week 1 with whichever team takes him in the draft.
The Ravens tend to go for the "best player available" regardless of position in the first round, so Booker shouldn't get any preferential treatment because he happens to be one of the positions that Baltimore needs most.
Baltimore is fully prepared to go with Andrew Vorhees or the recently-signed Ben Cleveland at right guard next season, but injecting the position with some youth will be needed, and Booker could become a long-term part of the Ravens offensive line if he is chosen at No. 27.
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