The Ravens’ center battle has taken a sharp turn, and it leaves Ethan Pocic and Jovaughn Gwyn fighting for the job after Danny Pinter’s injury changed the picture.
Heading into last Wednesday’s joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore was working through a three-man competition at center. Pinter, entering his sixth season, appeared to be the favorite. But Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said Pinter’s right patellar tendon tear looked like a season-ending injury, and that opened the door for the other two contenders.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley relayed Minter’s update on X, formerly Twitter, writing, “Jesse Minter said Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic will both get work with the first team this week,” shared Hensley. “They’re competing for the starting center job.”
Pocic arrived in Baltimore after four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Before that, he spent five years with the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted the former LSU standout in the second round of the 2017 draft. Gwyn came in as a seventh-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and spent three seasons in Atlanta before joining the Ravens this offseason.
The three were in the mix to replace former starter Tyler Linderbaum, a former first-round pick. Linderbaum left Baltimore for Las Vegas after signing a three-year deal with the Raiders, and he’ll now help develop number one overall pick Fernando Mendoza.
Pinter’s likely season-ending injury is especially frustrating for Baltimore because he also joined the team this offseason after six years with the Indianapolis Colts. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta had brought in multiple veterans hoping one would stick. Now that Pinter is out, the Ravens may have lost one of those options.
The question now is whether Pocic or Gwyn can seize the opportunity. If neither settles the spot, Baltimore could be dealing with a shaky fit up front as the team tries to build chemistry with quarterback Lamar Jackson and install the new system offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is putting in place.
In Other News...
Ravens Rookie Is Forcing A Real Slot Corner Conversation
Chandler Rivers is starting to make a case that the Ravens may have more to sort through in the slot than they expected this summer. The fifth-round rookie cornerback turned in a strong showing in Week 2 of the preseason, finishing with five combined tackles, a half-sack and a pass breakup while flashing the kind of versatility Baltimore likes to uncover in the back end.
Pro Football Focus rewarded the outing with an 84.6 overall grade and a 90.0 coverage mark, which only adds to the intrigue around his push for a rotational role. For a defense that values depth and competition in the secondary, Rivers is at least giving the coaching staff a real conversation at slot corner as the preseason unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Defense Has A Growing Concern Right Up The Middle
The Ravens are trying to sort out the middle of their defense just as training camp starts to sharpen the picture for rookie head coach Jesse Minter. Nnamdi Madubuike is working his way back cautiously after neck surgery, and Roquan Smith is coming off a stretch in which he has been trying to rediscover the level of play that made him such a force in the center of the unit. Baltimore has built some better depth around them, but the main questions still sit right up the middle.
What makes the situation trickier is that the Ravens do not just need bodies there, they need reliable production from the defensive spine. Smiths coverage has been a concern, and Madubuikes recovery leaves the interior line in a holding pattern as the regular season gets closer. For a defense that expects to be sturdy from the inside out, the coming weeks will tell a lot about whether this group is simply reloading or still waiting on its core to come together. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Rookie Receivers Just Faced A Real Test In This WR Battle
Baltimores rookie wideout competition has been one of the more interesting subplots of camp, and JaKobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt have both flashed enough to keep themselves in the conversation. Their recent preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings didnt produce much in the box score, but the opportunity itself mattered, especially for two players trying to carve out a role in a crowded offense.
Lane was on the field for 17 offensive snaps and Sarratt for six, with each finishing with one catch. The outing was quiet, but it also looked like another chance to show they can handle real work in a game setting, and the Ravens will keep sorting out who can help once the offense opens the door a little wider. [Read more 🡒]