Left or Right Guard? How the Ravens Will Decide.
Perhaps the only question about Ioane’s fit with the Ravens is where he’ll line up.
Veteran John Simpson, who the Ravens signed in free agency, played exclusively at left guard the past three seasons, including in 2023 in Baltimore. In six NFL seasons, Simpson has played 76 total snaps at right guard, per Pro Football Focus.
Ioane has also primarily been a left guard, with 27 starts there the past two seasons. As a redshirt freshman, he appeared in 13 games with five stats, earning playing time at both guard spots and even a spot start at center.
Head Coach Jesse Minter said the Ravens would “figure that out” this offseason, and Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle expanded on that Friday.
“With the offensive line always, it’s how do we get our five best on the field,” Doyle said. “Obviously, he has a lot of versatility. That allows us to really go out and try to explore that through the offseason, through training camp, and really make it a competitive environment. Our guys are able to showcase their skillsets and where we think they’re going to fit our offense best and be able to make that decision later on in camp.”
Doyle said he does believe younger players are more flexible when it comes to moving from one side to the other, just because they don’t have as much muscle memory built up.
