The Baltimore Ravens added 11 new players to their roster at the 2026 NFL Draft; however, they did not get any solutions for the position of center.
Since they traded Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and there is no reliable replacement for him, the Ravens are risking their most valuable offensive player: Lamar Jackson. This problem is something the Ravens really cannot put off for much longer.
Ravens’ Center Depth Chart Is Alarming
At this point, the Ravens’ center depth chart seems incomplete. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes, “It is possible, if not probable, that the Ravens’ starting Week 1 center is not currently on the roster. They are expected to explore trade and free-agent options.”
Right now, Danny Pinter probably is the most experienced man on the depth chart; he has started 10 games in his career, just three of which were at center.
After him, Corey Bullock and Jovaughn Gwyn have not started an NFL game and have combined for only 24 snaps on offense.
Why the Ravens Didn’t Draft a Center
GettyBaltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.
General Manager Eric DeCosta explained after the draft that Baltimore had two centers they “really liked” — Logan Jones (Chicago Bears, pick No. 57) and Jake Slaughter (Los Angeles Chargers, pick No. 63), but both were taken before Baltimore picked again at No. 80.
Trading up would have cost the Ravens a third, fourth, and fifth-round pick, a price DeCosta called “prohibitive.” After those two options were gone, DeCosta said the remaining Day 3 centers were “good players, but there’s nobody that’s going to necessarily be an impact player for us this year.”
What the Ravens Can Do to Fix This
Baltimore is not completely out of options. The Ravens have already signed undrafted Penn State center Nick Dawkins, a two-year starter and team captain at Penn State who posted a 79.8 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025, ranking 56th among 307 qualified college centers.
The team also fortified the guard spots by drafting Vega Ioane with the 14th overall pick, widely considered the best guard prospect since Quenton Nelson. Both moves should help take pressure off whoever wins the center job.
DeCosta remains confident, pointing out that games don’t start until September, and the Ravens are expected to keep monitoring the trade market and free-agent options as roster cuts approach . As DeCosta put it: “I do think we’ll have a plan at the position.”
But for Lamar Jackson, who was sacked 36 times last season, Baltimore better find that plan fast.
Lamar Jackson’s Biggest Threat Is Hiding Right on the Ravens’ Own Roster