The Ravens have had a busy morning of paperwork today. After announcing the signing of nine of their 11 draft picks, they’ve now announced that they’ve added some starting offensive tackle depth by agreeing to terms on a contract with Joseph Noteboom. Though contract details are not yet known, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec tells us that the soon-to-be-30-year-old will be on a one-year deal in Baltimore. 
A former third-round pick out of TCU, Noteboom has had a seven-year career so far, with all seven seasons coming in Los Angeles with the Rams. After spending his rookie season mostly on special teams as a backup, Noteboom began his sophomore campaign as the team’s starting left guard before suffering a torn ACL and MCL.
His 2020 season opened the same way after recovery, but he was placed on injured reserve after only two starts with a calf injury. When he was activated later that year, he started the remainder of the season filling in for an injured Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, his first starts at tackle since college. In 2021, though, the Rams returned to their reliable pair of Whitworth and Rob Havenstein as Noteboom only started two games at tackle for the year, including his first start on the right side of the line.
With the retirement of Whitworth, Noteboom opened the 2022 campaign as the Rams’ new starter at left tackle under a new three-year, $40MM extension. Unfortunately, after only six games, his season ended with a torn Achilles tendon. Los Angeles had Alaric Jackson take over the starting left tackle role in 2023, and though Noteboom began the year as the starting right guard, he was ultimately moved around the line as a swing tackle, starting three games at right guard, three games at right tackle, and two games at left tackle. Noteboom began last year starting at left tackle as Jackson served a two-game suspension, but an ankle injury knocked him out of the game in Week 1 and would limit him as he only started and played in three games for the remainder of the season.
Luckily, in Baltimore, Noteboom’s injury history isn’t of much concern. The Ravens are certainly set at the tackle positions with veteran Ronnie Stanley re-signing on a three-year, $60MM deal this offseason and the team drafting Roger Rosengarten in the second round last year. After the free agency departures of Patrick Mekari and Josh Jones, the Ravens have been in need of a swing tackle to add depth and starting experience to the line, and Noteboom fits that bill to a T.
While seemingly a minor role on the offense, the swing tackle role has become a crucial one in Baltimore. Mekari proved the importance of that position as a Swiss Army sixth-man early in his career. Mekari started games at every position along the offensive line during his six years with the Ravens, proving to be extremely valuable during a tenure that saw Stanley miss 38 games over that stretch of time.
Even with Stanley returning to health to start all 17 games last year, and with Mekari becoming a mainstay at left guard, Jones saw plenty of action as a sixth-man on the offensive line for Baltimore in 2024. Jones didn’t make any starts last season, but his versatility allowed the Ravens to use him everywhere, as he’s started games at every position but center during his NFL career. A Baltimore offense that led the NFL in rushing in 2024 often depended on jumbo sets including a sixth offensive lineman, and Jones was often the man called to fill that role.
With Mekari and Jones both gone, the Ravens will now turn to Noteboom to man that job. Noteboom has similar versatility as Mekari and Jones — he’s also missing starts at only center — and should be utilized in a similar manner. The Ravens spent two draft picks on rookie tackles Emery Jones Jr. (third round, LSU) and Carson Vinson (fifth round, Alabama A&M) this year, and both should help add depth, but Noteboom’s starting experience and versatility should prove to be incredibly valuable in 2025.
