As Baltimore heads into training camp, the Ravens already look mostly sorted on the 53-man roster. The starting lineup is close to locked in, and a lot of the depth chart feels pretty well mapped out. But there are still a few spots where the competition could get interesting, and one of the quieter ones is at offensive tackle.
That’s where undrafted rookie Diego Pounds enters the picture. He’s a longshot, sure, but Baltimore clearly saw something in him. As the Ravens’ third-highest paid undrafted free agent, he got $40,000 guaranteed after the 2026 NFL Draft, and there was a sense around the league that he was one of the better players to go unselected.
Pounds has a real path to make some noise if the Ravens decide to keep five tackles. Ronnie Stanley and Roger Rosengarten are already lined up as the starting pair, and second-year pro Carson Vinson looks like the leading backup and a possible developmental piece. That still leaves a sliver of room for someone else to force his way into the conversation.
The biggest thing working in Pounds’ favor is the kind of player he is once the pads come on. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, with just under 34-inch arms, he brings the size and physical edge Baltimore can evaluate properly only in training camp.
OTAs and minicamp barely gave him a chance to stand out, since contact was limited and the pads weren’t on. Camp is where that changes.
And Pounds likes the part of football that gets nasty. He’s built to lean on people, use heavy hands, and create real pop at the point of attack. At 23, he’s the kind of lineman who can make a loud impression when the work gets physical.
If Baltimore does carry an extra tackle, Gerad Lichtenhan is probably the main name standing in his way. Lichtenhan spent last season on the practice squad and handled himself well in the 2025 preseason. For Pounds, the first step is simple: beat him out on the depth chart.
That said, the road to the active roster is still steep. The offensive line room is crowded, and the Ravens have bigger questions on the interior.
Pounds may end up on the wrong side of the numbers game when cuts arrive. But if he turns into one of those players nobody can ignore in August, he could make the front office’s decision a lot harder than it expected.
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Ravens Still Face One Big Lamar Jackson Question This Offseason
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The catch is that the supporting cast still looks unfinished in a few important spots, especially up front and at receiver, where the depth chart beyond Zay Flowers remains a real question. Baltimore can still do enough in the regular season to keep stacking wins, but the bigger issue is whether these unresolved offensive concerns will hold up when the games tighten and the stakes rise in January. [Read more 🡒]