There’s little doubt the Baltimore Ravens need to focus on getting an impact player on the defensive front in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft — specifically an edge rusher.
The Ravens simply had no one who could change a game from that spot in 2025 and it was a huge part of why they started the season 1-5, wound up going 8-9 and missed the playoffs in a year they were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders.
The next fix after that? Has to be the offensive line. Specifically on the interior offensive line, where their struggles were just as pronounced as anywhere else last season.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport called 6-foot-4, 330-pound Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge the “Dream Draft Target” for the Ravens outside of the 1st round.
” … The Ravens need help in the trenches on both sides of the ball, and if Baltimore hits the defense on Day 1 it would be wise to flip the script and address the offensive line on Day 2,” Davenport wrote. “As is to be expected from a third-round prospect, Georgia Tech guard Keylan Rutledge needs to work on his footwork and improve his technique. But the 6’4″ 330-pound mauler has impressive physical traits, a mean streak when attacking opposing defenders and the potential to become a quality NFL starter sooner rather than later.”
Rutledge Leveled Up With Power Four Transfer
Rutledge, a Georgia native, spent his first 2 seasons of college football at Middle Tennessee, where he started 17 out of 22 games and earned All-Conference USA honors in 2023 before he transferred to Georgia Tech.
With the Yellow Jackets, Rutledge was nothing short of dominant on the way to being named 2-time All-ACC in 26 starts at left guard. Georgia Tech played in consecutive bowl games for the first time in over a decade, and their 9-4 record in 2025 matched their highest win total since 2016 while averaging 31.7 points and 460 yards per game, including 197.5 rushing yards.
At the Senior Bowl, Rutledge played both right guard and center to show teams his versatility — something that could play big into him ending up with the Ravens.
“I played a lot of guard in college and that was great, but I know I’m versatile and I can play all three spots,” Rutledge said. “So I was just coming out here and showing that.”
Ravens Have Massive Liability On Offensive Line
Any Ravens fan in the know can see the direct line between drafting Rutledge and replacing the current starter at guard — 6-foot-8, 370-pound veteran Daniel Faalele.
Faalele was one of the NFL’s worst offensive linemen in 2025, which was underlined after his performance in a Week 14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in which 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson had an uncharacteristic outburst after Faalele missed several blocks.
“(Faalele) can’t block the sun out of his eyes, let alone a defensive lineman,” former Ravens tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe said on The Nightcap Podcast following the loss to the Steelers. “You shouldn’t be allowed to be that big and sorry. He’s as big as he is sorry … on film, he’s always at the scene of the crime … you going to hell if you told that man ‘Good Game’ at any point this year.”
Ravens Called Dream Fit for 6-foot-4, 330-Pound ‘Mauler’ in NFL Draft