Logan Jones

While the Ravens shored up the interior of their offensive line this offseason by adding John Simpson in free agency and selecting Vega Ioane in the first round of the draft, there is a glaring hole at the center position. Tyler Linderbaum, who manned the pivot for Baltimore for the last four years (earning Pro Bowl acclaim in each of the last three), signed a record-setting deal with the Raiders in March, and the Ravens are still seeking an adequate replacement.

As ESPN’s Jamison Hensley details, general manager Eric DeCosta said the two center prospects in the 2026 draft class he believed could make an immediate impact were taken in the second round, which he considered a surprise. Presumably, he is referring to Logan Jones, who went to the Bears with the No. 57 pick, and Jake Slaughter, whom the Chargers selected with the No. 63 choice. With his own second-round pick, DeCosta opted to bolster his pass rush (Zion Young, No. 45 overall), and by the time the Ravens were back on the clock at No. 80, Jones and Slaughter were long gone.

DeCosta acknowledged during an interview on WBAL (via Hensley) that the center position remains in a state of flux, though he indicated he could address that need via trade. Of course, he did not name possible trade targets, though players like Chicago’s Garrett Bradbury or Miami’s Aaron Brewer could speculatively fit the bill.

The Bears just acquired Bradbury via trade this offseason but then drafted Jones. The Dolphins restructured Brewer’s deal in order to absorb the dead money created by the Jaylen Waddle trade and have expressed an interest in extending the snapper, a 2025 second-team All-Pro. Still, the ‘Fins are rebuilding, and after the club’s new regime traded a former cornerstone in Waddle, moving a contract-year player like Brewer who appears poised to cash in thanks in part to Linderbaum’s mega-deal could make sense.

Players like Graham Glasgow, Ethan Pocic, and Ryan Bates are still free agents, and the Ravens will presumably continue to evaluate Corey Bullock, a 2024 UDFA who took extensive reps at center last summer and who is currently penciled in atop the center depth chart. Baltimore also signed Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn this offseason, but neither of those players presently profiles as a viable starting option for a club with championship aspirations.