The Baltimore Ravens had an uncomfortable couple of hours playing a waiting game in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft before getting the player they wanted in Penn State offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane at No. 14 overall.
The Ravens got their man, but just not without breaking a sweat.
“Olaivavega Ioane was one of the draft’s hottest names in the early teens,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote on Thursday. “The Rams received calls about their No. 13 spot, one ahead of Baltimore. The Ravens were heavily linked to Ioane, so any suitor needed to get ahead of them. The Ravens were concerned they would potentially get jumped. One industry source keeping close tabs on the guard market believed divisional rival Pittsburgh had an affinity for Ioane, though it’s unclear whether it would have moved up that far.”
Watching Ioane play for the Steelers and dominate would have been painful, but the Rams made the surprise pick of the draft with Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at No. 13 overall. Which meant Ioane was meant to be a Raven.
Vega Ioane Will ‘Undoubtedly’ Start as Rookie
The Ravens found themselves in desperate need of help on the interior offensive line after 3-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum left for a record-setting free-agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders — a 3-year, $81 million deal that made him the highest-paid interior offensive lineman in NFL history.
Ioane seems like the kind of player who could join Linderbaum with those types of riches in the future, with ESPN’s Jamison Hensley predicting Ioane would “undoubtedly” become a starter as a rookie for the Ravens.
“One of the biggest factors in (Lamar) Jackson being pressured on 37.1% of his dropbacks last season — the worst rate of his eight-year career — was the play of Ravens guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees,” Hensley wrote in his post-draft analysis. “Baltimore will make a significant upgrade by plugging Ioane at left or right guard. The last three offensive linemen drafted by the Ravens in the first round — Michael Oher, Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum — all started immediately.”
Ioane Called ‘Most Pro-Ready’ Player in NFL Draft
Ioane, 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds, only allowed 2 sacks in 1,106 plays over his entire career at Penn State — an incredible state considering his true strength is run blocking.
In his final college season, Ioane only allowed 2 quarterback pressures. Consider that the 2 starting guards for the Ravens in 2025, Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees, were an absolute sieve and gave up a combined 58 quarterback pressures.
Fox Sports NFL reporter Ben Arthur singled out Ioane as the “Most Pro-Ready” player in the entire 2026 NFL draft.
“The 14th overall pick, Ioane could be one of the Ravens’ best offensive linemen from Day 1,” Arthur wrote. “He made 32 starts for Penn State at left guard.”
Ioane could also represent an incredible value for the Ravens if he becomes a full-time starter for Day 1 and develops into a Pro Bowler or NFL All-Pro. As the No. 14 overall pick, he’s in line for a projected 4-year, $24.2 million rookie contract, according to Spotrac.
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