The Baltimore Ravens still haven't signed Lamar Jackson to a contract extension, but their No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft might convince him to put pen to paper once he gets an offer.
Baltimore desperately needed help along the interior of its offensive line, and adding Olaivavega Ioane was a major stwp toward a solution.
Often deemed the best pure guard in this class, Ioane's elite pass protection will put the Browns' stout defensive line to the test. Moreover, even though he's not as proficient as a run blocker as he is as a pass-blocker, Browns second-year defensive tackle Mason Graham will have his hands full in every matchup.
Graham, the Browns' No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 draft, showed glimpses of strong play as a rookie and has the potential to be a shutdown interior defender. And with a divisional rival adding a prime player as a response, he's not going to get any breaks.
Olaivavega Ioane might be exactly the challenge Mason Graham didn’t need
The Ravens' offensive line took a massive hit when they let Tyler Linderbaum walk in free agency. That's still a lingering issue, but Ioane is expected to play a major role in keeping Lamar Jackson out of harm's way. He didn't allow a single sack or QB hit in his final season at Penn State, and it'll be up to Mason Graham to change that.
Ioane allowed a grand total of four pressures and drew a single penalty in his final year in college. The Nittany Lions' offense struggled mightily, yet they still averaged 174.4 rushing yards per game. Now, Ioane has running back Derrick Henry lining up behind him.
According to Pro Football Focus, Graham ranked in the middle of the pack last season. His overall grade (68.7) ranked 31st among 64 eligible defensive linemen, and he was just below average as a run defender (62.4). That's not necessarily bad for a rookie, but there were higher expectations for a top-five pick, especially given his impressive college resume.
Graham did a decent job in his two matchups with the Ravens last season, logging six hurries and four tackles. That said, the Ravens still scored 41 and 23 points in those matchups.
The Browns will now have Todd Monken calling the shots for them instead of for the enemy, which is obviously positive, but they still need to contain Henry and Jackson, and plenty of that will have to do with Graham.
With Jim Schwartz at the helm, the Browns' defense gave up 116.4 rushing yards per game, which was good for 16th in the league. That's not good enough for a team having a top-five draft pick anchoring the interior of the defensive line, and his life may have gotten much more difficult with the Ravens' first-round selection.
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