The guard prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed from the Ravens perspective.
The tackles prospects were previously reviewed here.
By the way I should have noted in the tackle review that a player with a “Yes” notation at the end of their individual report next t0 “Ravens” means that he’s a player who should be on the Ravens board.
Ravens Current Situation and Need at Guard
Both starting guards from 2023 (Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson) have left the roster. As readers know, I’m comfortable with both decisions as I think Simpson was a net negative (it’s amazing he landed such a nice contract) and it was time to move on from Zeitler.
These moves left the Ravens with no proven starter on the current roster. The holdovers are Ben Cleveland, Andrew Vorhees, and Malesala Aumavae-Laulu. Neither Vorhees nor Laulu have played a down in the NFL. Vorhees, however, who I would have ranked as a third to fourth round prospect last year had he been healthy, is the early favorite to win one of the starter roles. Despite several chances, Cleveland has never seized the starters mantle. And I still don’t quite see why Laulu would be the hoped for solution.
Daniel Faalele could also be in the mix. I’m not a fan of his at right tackle. Whether he can make the transition to the interior remains to be seen. But you can’t quite be satisfied that the Ravens will go with – say – Vorhees and Faalele as the 2024 starters.
As a result, I think it’s important for the Ravens to find a starting caliber guard in this draft. That’s my primary focus below. There are several worthy candidates. I note that several of the prospects I listed as “No” received that trait because I don’t see them as year one starter prospects. Some of those guys are otherwise worthy of drafting from a depth/future starter perspective if the Ravens chose to go in that direction.
Guard Prospects
Let’s take a look at the guard prospects.
Troy Fautanu
Fautanu is 23.5 years old, 6’3 and 317 pounds from Washington. Fautanu logged 29 starts at left tackle and 2 at left guard, projecting to play guard in the NFL. He is an outstanding athlete, with a vertical jump, broad jump, and 40 yard dash that were all at the 90th percentile range. This is a guy who can really move; he’ll be very effective as a pulling guard. His excellent lateral agility allows him to maintain his balance while getting to his blocks anywhere on the field. And he brings explosion to his run blocking. He brings a strong mean streak to his game and will drive defenders into the dirt. Fautanu has heavy hands that can deliver a big pop. The biggest drawback in his run blocking game is an occasional failure to sustain blocks, something that should be correctable.
Fautanu was not outstanding in pass protection at the left tackle position, which is why he should wind up inside. He was too frequently off balance, fatal to NFL offensive tackle success. Projecting him to the inside should significantly help him in pass protection; moves on the outside that caused him to lean won’t threaten him from the inside. He had some challenges with rushers who crossed his face from the outside to the inside, but that should be obviated at the guard position.
Fautanu is rightly the highest graded guard in this draft with a round one grade. Could he slide to the Ravens? Anything is possible. Should the Ravens take him at pick 30? That’s not an easy question to answer and I’ll save that until I put together my Ravens Big Board. Round 1. Ravens: Yes.
Cooper Beebe
Beebe is almost 23 years old, 6’3 and 322 pounds from Kansas State. Beebe has 48 college starts to his name, 26 at left guard, 13 at left tackle, and nine at right tackle, offering obvious position flexibility. Let’s start off with the obvious challenge for Beebe: he has incredibly short arms (only 31.5” and only a 78” wingspan). Now on the edge that would be a deal killer for me. But on the interior, you can probably live with it because of what Beebe brings to the table.
From a pass protection perspective, I like Pro Football Focus’ “true pass set” (TPS) analytics, which evaluate a blocker’s performance on passing plays but excludes screen passes, play action passes, and rollouts. That’s appropriate because those three types of plays impact a blocker’s ability to protect the quarterback outside of the blocking lineman’s control. By this measure, Beebe produced outstanding results last year, with a 99% pass block grade on true pass sets. Beebe allowed just three pressures on 130 TPS plays. Moreover, he allowed just five pressures last year on 311 true pass sets on plays with no play action. He brings a stout anchor against bull rushers.
By all accounts Beebe has a very high football IQ, which was evident on the tape. He is a nasty, thick-chested bulldozer who is able to drive defenders back onto their heels. He also drives well on double team and angle-drive blocks. He is as strong as they come, though his testing arm strength was poor. But he will be more challenged in the NFL, as his short arms could blunt his punch. Hand placement and strength will be important to his ability to latch on and drive, and he has shown a high level understanding of this. Although Beebe tested very well in the 3-cone, the tape does not show high end fluidity; and though he can pull, he is not explosive out of the blocks.
I see Beebe as a very good guard prospect with a high ceiling. If the Ravens are satisfied that his arm length is not a deal-breaker, he could easily emerge as a starter this season. Round 2. Ravens: Yes.
Jordan Morgan
Morgan is almost 23 years old, 6’5 and 311 pounds from Arizona. Morgan logged 37 starts in college, all of them at left tackle. Like Cooper Beebe, Morgan brings short arms (32,875”) which is a good reason why he might be better slated on the interior. Morgan brings strong hands and good lateral movement. He is a good athlete. Morgan bends well and generally stays balanced but there was film where he couldn’t control the edge rusher after firing his hands. I also saw instances of Morgan, at left tackle, being too upright, allowing defenders to get under his pads and thrown back to the quarterback. His redirect skills were average.
These are all reasons why Morgan’s future is probably at guard. There are a few questions about his potential prowess inside as a run blocker. He is not a thick bodied guy; not as naturally strong as I’d like though he has a solid hand grip. But he lets his hands drift too low. I think he can block in space (zone schemes) and expect him to be an effective puller (though he’s a bit of a short strider), and given his good feet he should improve on the move. He has good burst in this respect and should do well on screens. Morgan plays physical with strong hands.
Now I’m probably a bit too focused on Morgan’s weaknesses. I think he’ll do well on the inside in the NFL; perhaps very well. By all accounts he’s a very hard worker and I expect he will do well picking up the necessary nuances of the inside game, especially run blocking techniques. Some have him graded as a first rounder. I don’t. I see him strictly as a guard in the NFL. Round 2. Ravens: Yes.
Jackson Powers-Johnson
Powers-Johnson is 21.25 years old, 6’3 and 328 pounds from Oregon. Now virtually everyone has Power-Johnson as a center prospect. And if he were simply a center the Ravens would not consider him. Last year all of his starts were, in fact, at center. But I can see Jackson-Powers easily playing guard in the NFL, which is why he’s reviewed here. Yes, he could go in the first round as a center. But he might not.
Off the bat, Powers-Johnson’s biggest flaw is physical; he has extraordinarily short arms (only 32.25”). But that didn’t impair him at all at the Senior Bowl practices, where he was the one offensive lineman who completely controlled the interior. Not only did he physically dominate; he also demonstrated an ability to recover when he was beaten and wind up with a win.
Jackson-Powers is a very powerful man who dominates and mauls in the run game. He’s an excellent athlete who is scheme versatile. He graded out at 100% in PFFs TPS pass block grade, 99% in their run-block zone grade and 98% in their run block man grade.
There’s little that Powers-Johnson doesn’t do at a top level. He has excellent upper-body strength and tremendous lower body strength that allows him to drop an outstanding anchor. Yet, he has excellent quickness and good lateral mobility. He’s very tough, relentless, plays through the whistle, and can play nasty. Powers-Johnson stays balanced, has good footwork, and is very effective in space. But he’s fairly inexperienced (only 17 starts in his career, 13 of which came last year) and has work to do with gaining consistent bend and drive. He brings a top notch anchor to his pass sets to stymie bull rushers. Those short arms could, however, allow defenders to get to his chest, which is probably the greatest area of concern to his game.
There are medical red flags, as he has had a series of injuries and several concussions. And penalties have been too prominent.
I believe Jackson-Powers will go in the first round. If he stays healthy, he has Pro Bowl at some point in his career written all over him. He’ll likely be drafted as a center. Round 1. Ravens: Yes.
Domini Puni
Puni is 24 years old, 6’5 and 313 pounds from Kansas. Puni logged 43 starts in college, 27 at left tackle, three at right tackle, and 13 at left guard. He obviously brings positional versatility.
Puni had an excellent week at the Senior Bowl practices. His technique was top notch. His hands fired quickly, and he delivered stout punches with excellent placement. Those hands create good displacement and Puni’s grip strength allows him to sustain his blocks. Puni showed some real power in his lower body driving defenders away. Puni played center and both guard positions and dominated at all three. He stuck well to his blocks and showed real drive with his lower body.
Now Puni’s arm’s are a bit short (33.375”). But he tested well athletically, with an excellent 20-yard shuttle and 3-Cone, in particular. He can play a bit tall, and I saw that even on the Senior Bowl tapes, but he was able to drop his pads and stay in control. Notwithstanding the athletic testing, he didn’t seem quick on the move – average at best – although he was quick off the snap. Puni offers a stout anchor.
I see Puni as a solid guard with the potential to be a steady starter in the NFL. My questions around him center on his ability to move effectively in space; and the Ravens have to be satisfied that he can. Round 2-3. Ravens: Yes.
Christian Haynes
Haynes is 24 years old, 6’2 and 317 pounds from Connecticut. Haynes is a very good athlete with a good first step. He brings a good anchor in pass protection, but his short arms are a bit of a concern at the NFL level. He has a good initial punch and is able to regain leverage adeptly.
Haynes brings explosiveness and power to the table, which helps compensate and then some for his shorter stature. At the Senior Bowl practices Haynes was a big success, utilizing his great core strength to blunt pass rushers. He needs to establish a lower base to his anchor more consistently. On game tape he had occasions where quicker rushers set him up on spins and he was challenged to get his feet moving to reestablish. This area needs some work.
Haynes has the right physical attributes to fit what the Ravens do in the run game. He brings an excellent first step, allowing him to play well on the move, which is ideal for their zone schemes. Haynes will cut off those backside defenders and will get to the second level. He doesn’t bring burst so much as he gets to the correct angle quickly. He is equally adept at pulling in the man and gap schemes. Truly scheme versatile. Haynes will finish his blocks.
Haynes is a good guard prospect who is not completely clean. He’s a high character teammate. He is starting caliber at the guard position. Round 3. Ravens: Yes.
Isaiah Adams
Adams is almost 24 years old, 6’4 and 315 pounds from Illinois. He had 25 starts in college; 14 at left guard, 10 at right tackle, and one at left tackle. Right off the bat what I don’t like about Adams is that he plays a bit too tall. As a general proposition, that creates way too many opportunities for defenders to get under him, destroy his leverage, and control the play.
In the run game he brings a nice burst and good quickness. He’s adept at sealing off, with an ability to get to the second level. He has the ability to pull. He plays mean and aggressive. Adams’ hand placement is good but could be better. But he is a decent finisher, though with more bend through the action he would be more effective. Adams doesn’t always move his feet and hands in sync, leaving him off base on some run opportunities, as evidenced by some difficulties in space.
Adams has shown an ability to establish a base quickly in pass protection, bringing a solid anchor against bull rushers. This should play well on the inside. As a tackle he struggled against counter moves, but this should be less of an issue on the interior.
I don’t love Adams as a prospect because there is too much upright in his play. Round 3. Ravens: Pass.
Mason McCormick
McCormick is 23.5 years old, 6’3 and 314 pounds from the FCS school South Dakota State. McCormick tested out to be a high-end athlete that didn’t always show that on tape. He brings a broad upper body with power below the hips. He is explosive out of the blocks in the run game, with a powerful drive. On both zone blocking and man/gap snaps he excelled. He finishes with fury and is downright nasty.
The primary challenge for McCormick is that he is a waist bender, which is problematic at the NFL level; he must better learn to bend at the knees or he’ll be nothing more than a backup. Right now, he plays too upright too much. It’s hard to see him regularly staying attached to NFL defenders without improvement.
Now the physical ability is there, as he tested well at the Combine. He needs the type of refinement that NFL coaches can give him, and he’s an intelligent player who should take well to it. He can handle the power of interior NFL bull rushers, but he’s not consistent with his hands and can find himself off balance as a result. McCormick has strengths and weaknesses as a pass protector where the primary concern will be his ability (or lack thereof) to mirror.
It’s difficult to project McCormick as a starter for two years. It will be a fast learning curve to get there sooner. For the Ravens, they already have two young guards from last year’s draft who are trying to establish themselves, and it doesn’t make much sense to me for them to draft someone who can’t compete for a starting job immediately. I think McCormick is a sound prospect. In other years I would have McCormick as a good candidate for the Ravens. But the problem is, at this point in time for the Ravens, they need a starter not a developmental prospect. Round 4. Ravens: Pass.
Christian Mahogany
Mahogany is 23.5 years old, 6’3 and 314 pounds from Boston College. He had 34 starts in college, 23 at right guard and 11 at left guard. In pass protection Mahogany’s challenge is avoid leaning over his feet, where counters have given him trouble. His body can get out of sync, leaving him exposed. He can be set up by defenders with misdirection hesitation. Mahogany has a good natural anchor and a solid first punch, but wide alignments can cause him trouble given the issues described above. He could stand to keep his hands higher. Mahogany occasionally doesn’t get adequate depth in his sets.
Mahogany brings a much more effective repertoire to his run blocking. He uses his wide frame and powerful legs to bully people on the snap, bringing a powerful punch. He’s very effective on double-teams, can dominate with a variety of blocks on the interior, and has enough quickness to perform well when pulling. He will mash defenders and finish.
Mahogany is an old-style NFL grader; a bruiser in the run game, very effective in tight spaces and a bulldozer. But he has enough flaws in his pass protection sets to concern me that he won’t hold up well enough often enough as an interior protector. I hate when Lamar Jackson faces that interior pressure, and it’s a bit of a challenge to project Mahogany as an early starter with an incomplete pass rush defense capability. Round 4. Ravens: Pass.
Delmar Glaze
Glaze is 21.75 years old, 6’4 and 315 pounds from Maryland. Glaze had 32 college starts, 17 at right tackle and 15 at left tackle. Having watched his tape I think – as some others do – that he is better suited for guard in the NFL. He lacks the lateral agility with mediocre foot quickness to play alone on the edge. The sack he gave up to Chop Robinson in the Penn State game was a glaring example of this, losing badly to the top of the arc. Glaze had a mediocre series of practices at the Senior Bowl, taking a few reps at guard, but his performance was a bit disappointing.
The question with Glaze is this: if you move him to the inside, is he a strong enough run blocker to consider him as a starter for the 2024 season? The concern here is that he lacks the power to consistently drive defenders. He is more of a run technician, winning with leverage, than a mauler. He moves decently with some potential to get to the second level. Glaze doesn’t consistently strike with his hands in a timely way; he can be a bit slow, which is problematic. On the move he brings a narrow base. I think he’ll hold up better on the inside in pass protection. He can set a lower base and has good upper body strength. He won’t be exposed with that lack of agility.
In all Glaze is more of a prospect than a starter at this point. I’m not convinced that he can be dominant on the interior. And I don’t see him handling NFL speed on an island. Round 4. Ravens: No.
Zak Zinter
Zinter is 23 years old, 6’5 and 309 pounds from Michigan. Zinter had 42 starts in college, all at right guard. Zinter’s physical limitations lead to a lower ceiling. He frequently plays too upright and lacks necessary quickness and leverage. Although he’s able to blunt a bull rushing attack at shallow depth, in space quicker defenders can get across him, and his lack of bend and average footwork cause him problems. I wonder whether he will be able to recover against quick defenders.
Now Zinter fared very well as a pass blocker on play action plays, further reinforcing the view that, when quick defenders are compromised, Zinter is much more effective as he’s able to rely on his power base. But more generally, PFF’s middling true pass set block grade on Zinter reinforces what was apparent on tape.
Though he is very football smart, he does not have explosive power. But Zinter brings good technique more generally. Zinter has had success on tape as a puller to initial depth. He regularly takes good angles. Getting to the second level down the field is more challenging. As a run blocker he brings strong hands and the ability to sustain his blocks, but his lack of top end power limits him in drive blocking. When he gets upright, he stalls out.
I’m not as high on Zinter as others. As indicated I think his ceiling is limited. Round 4. Ravens: Pass.
Sataoa Laumea
Laumea is 23.25 years old, 6’4 and 319 pounds from Utah. He logged 44 college starts, 26 at right tackle and earlier in his career 18 at right guard. He has a bit shorter arms than you’d like to see, but brings good size and length. Laumea uses his hands very well in the running game. He has a good punch and power in his grip. Laumea brings a good initial burst, with very good drive and power from the lower part of his body once he latches on. He plays very aware and handles moving fronts quite well.
Laumea has excellent feet and can get down the field to lead on pulls and screens.
The challenge for Laumea at the next level will be in pass protection, which is why he should slide inside to the guard position. Defenders can get through those short arms and into his chest. As a tackle he overset too often, leaving himself off balance as defenders crossed him to the inside. He can lose his leverage and wind up too high. But his quick feet and overall good footwork allow him to excel in mirroring. There is clearly work to be done in his pass blocking game.
Laumea is NFL ready in the run blocking game. But he’s not quite there yet as a pass blocker. He’s a good prospect with solid upside if he gets the coaching he needs. Based on the Ravens current roster, he’d be “in the mix” competing for the right guard position, but not a lock to win the battle. Round 3-4. Ravens: Yes.
Matt Goncalves
Goncalves is 23 years old, 6’6 and 317 pounds from Pittsburgh. He started 24 games in college, 13 at right tackle and 11 at left tackle. Goncalves suffered a foot injury in September that ended his season (only 165 plays) and prevented him from participating in the offseason workouts. He is not particularly gifted athletically, and brings short arms to the fray. Goncalves is another taller player who plays too upright. He also doesn’t play with enough leverage.
His lack of athleticism impairs his ability to play in space. He could have some challenges consistently getting to the second level in the run game. He has strong hands though his location is not always the greatest, and keeps his upper and lower body in sync. Goncalves brings power to his game with the ability to drive.
Goncalves is not, in my view, ready to start at the guard position in the NFL. He’s not the greatest of athletes and will be limited in his range. I’d like to think the Ravens would focus on finding guards who can bring both agility and pop with the ability to consistently anchor against bulls. Again, if the Ravens were simply looking for depth Goncalves might be in the mix (but I’m not sure even then). As a starting candidate in 2024, no. Round 5-6. Ravens: No.
Layden Robinson
Robinson is almost 23 years old, 6’3 and 302 pounds from Texas A&M. Robinson is another guard candidate who is not particularly athletically gifted. He has slow feet, which limits his appeal to the edge and down the field as a blocker. Robinson had some difficulties at the Senior Bowl practices. He was beaten across his face and to his inside shoulder as he allowed the defender inside of his pads, playing as a tackle. I was not overwhelmed.
In the run game Robinson does not bring the natural power to knock defenders off of the ball. He’s not explosive enough out of his set. He could face some difficulty in space given his lack of overall agility and just average footwork. And there’s more.
I see Robinson as a flawed prospect with too many challenges. I rate him lower than most. Round 6. Ravens: Pass.
Trevor Keegan
Keegan is 23.5 years old, 6’5 and 310 pounds from Michigan. Keegan had 37 college starts, all but one at left guard. A very experienced player with below average athletic ability, Keegan brings very good fundamentals and smarts. But he may well be a player who has maxed out. His obvious flaw on tape is playing with a high pad level too often. As a result, he compromises his natural power and strength. Because his feet are slow, one worries how he will fare against explosive interior NFL defenders. He’ll pick up the stunt because he is aware and knows what to do. But his lack of agility is also an issue in pass protection, causing problems with his ability to mirror.
Keegan brings sufficient short area quickness but doesn’t combine it with agility on the move. His range is somewhat limited and it’s hard to see him as a regular winner in zone schemes. It’s a challenge to see Keegan as an eventual starter, and there’s just nothing to hang your hat on to suggest that draft capital must go his way. Round 6. Ravens: Pass.
Javion Cohen
Cohen is 21.7 years old, 6’4 and 324 pounds from Miami. Cohen had 37 college starts, all at left guard. Cohen is not an overwhelming athlete, but he brings a thick, wide-bodied frame. He has very long arms with powerful hands, but he’s the classic waste-bender. Cohen is made to mix it up in the trenches, but not much else on the field. He has heavy feet and won’t win out in space. He lacks agility in pass protection with issues stopping quick defenders who can set him up. He has a strong anchor, but his range is limited. Round 6-7. Ravens: Pass.
There are several other lower-tier guard candidates who, if time permits, I’ll touch on.
