It appears that training camp wasn’t enough time for the Baltimore Ravens to decide on one position battle.
At center, Danny Pinter was the original starter at the beginning of training camp. After suffering a season-ending injury, it opened up to two guys: Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic.
Gwyn closed out training camp as the starter at center, but it appears as though Pocic should get more looks. Will this position battle get any clearer in the next week and a half before their Week 1 showdown against the Indianapolis Colts?
Baltimore Ravens OC Declan Doyle on Center Position Battle
Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle spoke with the media and was asked about the center position battle. The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec shared what Doyle said about it.
“Ravens OC Declan Doyle said that he feels good about both Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic but he said the starting center competition is “up in the air.” Coaches will meet after this practice week to discuss it.”
Last season with the Cleveland Browns, Pocic finished with allowing 14 pressures, 3 quarterback hits, and 2 sacks in 518 pass-blocking snaps. Pro Football Focus graded him out at a 63.8 overall, ranking 20th out of 40 NFL centers last year.
Gwyn was with the Atlanta Falcons in 2025 and played only 11 offensive snaps. PFF gave him an 81.2 overall grade.
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Pocic seems to have the advantage for now, having started 97 of 114 games in his NFL career with the Browns and Seattle Seahawks. That experience is why he signed right before training camp.
It’s a shame it didn’t work out with Pinter because the Ravens were very high on how he looked in training camp. Pinter might have still lost the battle with Pocic, but he was gaining traction.
The concern is that Pocic is coming off a torn Achilles tendon injury late last season with the Browns. He appears to be 100% now that he’s played in two of the preseason games.
That makes it hard for the Ravens to pass up on Pocic. This is despite Gwyn having a few advantages over him.
When Gwyn was in Atlanta last year, he was with current Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. Also, Gwyn was with the Ravens at OTAs, and Pocic wasn’t signed then.
This will be a position battle that has over a week to get worked out for the Ravens. It feels as though this is Pocic’s job to lose, but anything can happen at this point. This could be anyone’s battle to win before they face the Colts to kick off the 2026 season.
Ravens’ Declan Doyle Reveals Position Battle That’s ‘Up in the Air’