Time to take a look at the guard prospects in the 2025 draft from the Ravens perspective. Previous position reviews are listed below:
Inside linebacker prospects are found here.
Defensive tackle prospects are located here.
Cornerback prospects are found here.
Safety prospects are reviewed here.
Edge linebacker prospects are located here.
The right guard position seemingly is locked down by Daniel Faalele. The backup swing guard is Ben Cleveland. Left guard is currently manned by Anthony Vorhees. We didn’t get to see a ton of tape last year on Vorhees, but what I did see was a guard who didn’t have the lower body power to consistently drive defenders off the line. The Ravens could look for someone who can do that, provided that player can also block in space. Presumably, the Ravens won’t jump into the guard prospects pool before the fourth round. But, you never know.
Kelvin Banks, Jr.
Banks is 21.1 years old, 6’5 and 315 pounds from Texas with 33.5” arms. Exclusively a left tackle in college, Banks could well slide inside to guard in the NFL, which is where I’m slotting him. His short arms have created some difficulty for him at tackle, causing him to lean and leaving him off balance, as well as on the receiving end of some punches and pulls. Banks is a very good athlete with the body mass to set a good anchor.
Banks is an excellent mover, with quick feet and good range. He’s fast out of his stance and gets up the field for secondary blocks in the run game. He pulls very well. Banks often utilizes his quickness to out-leverage defensive players.
As a pass protector on the outside, his foot quickness and easy hips allow him to set good edges and get to the top of the arc before the defender. He doesn’t always utilize his hands in the proper position, leaving him exposed. And he will lunge and lean too much, losing his base.
Banks projects as both a tackle and a guard, being a very good prospect for both. There are some issues in pass protection at the NFL level that he has to clean up if he’s going to stay at left tackle. I don’t think those issues exist at the guard position, which is why I place him there. He’s an excellent guard prospect. Round 1-2. Ravens – Yes.
Tyler Booker
Booker is 21 years old out of Alabama, 6’4 and 321 pounds with 34.5” arms and an 83.5 inch wingspan. He doesn’t test out as an exceptional athlete. Booker is a powerful player with excellent length and the ability to open up gaps. He’s a mauler (if not a brute) who sustains his blocks and gets upfield, and brings powerful hands. He’s not the most agile guard moving laterally with some resulting questions about his ability to play wide in space, but he’s fine pulling to the inside. Booker plays with good leverage.
As a pass protector Booker has excellent lower body power, brings a great anchor and it’s hard for bull rushers to move him. He has more work to do in protecting against interior speed that crosses his face.
Booker is a player the Ravens should seriously consider, even given their defensive needs. Given the Ravens reliance on the running game, Booker can create vertical run lanes as well as anyone. There are some things that need to be cleaned up in pass protection, but Booker is heavily favored to be a dominant run blocker on the interior in the NFL. Round 1. Ravens – Yes.
Donovan Jackson
Jackson is 22.4 years old, 6’3 and 317 pounds from Ohio State, with 9.875” hands and 33.5” arms. Jackson played mostly guard, and nine games at left tackle, in his college career. He is a very high character player, seen as a leader who works very hard to be prepared. Jackson can be viewed as a guard or tackle prospect for the NFL. He is a naturally strong player though not as overpowering as you’d expect. But he finishes his blocks and is able to pull across the formation.
He brings a strong punch and uses his hands well, but sometimes gets his pads too high. Jackson is effective as a drive blocker, but he struggles to lock out defenders at the second level. He’s not particularly gifted on the move and can be beaten to the spot. Jackson is a solid pass protector. His greatest challenge is with defenders crossing his face as he doesn’t have the greatest lateral agility. But he drops a sturdy anchor with the ability to deaden a bull rush.
There is coaching up to do with Jackson’s game, but he has plenty enough in his tank already to be seen as a solid guard in the NFL (I’m not moving him to tackle). Round 2. Ravens – Yes.
Jonah Savaiinaea
Savaiinaea is 21.3 years old, 6’4 and 324 pounds from Arizona. He brings 34” arms and an 82.25” wingspan and is an excellent athlete. He played both guard and tackle in college but projects best as a guard in the NFL. Savaiinaea doesn’t bend very well; he’s stiff. He doesn’t play with as much leverage as you would like, nor does he sustain blocks well. He has powerful hands and once he locks on, he’s difficult to disengage. When he sets a good anchor he’s difficult to move but he’s susceptible to being crossed.
Savaiinaea should be effective in tight situations, and he’s suited to inside zone assignments. I’m not sure how effective he’ll be on the move. I see him as a prospect who’s a bit over-rated at this point, and I think his skill set is not versatile enough for the variety of running schemes used by the Ravens. But he has upside. Round 3. Ravens – No.
Marcus Mbow
Mbow is 22 years old from Purdue, 6’4 and 302 pounds. Mbow does not have the frame of a typical interior lineman. He just doesn’t have the natural power and functional strength that you like in an NFL guard. However, he has excellent feet, moves easily laterally and should be effective in space. I’m a bit concerned regarding how he will fare on the inside against powerful bull rushers; he played the last two seasons on the outside at right tackle. Mbow doesn’t drop a heavy anchor.
Mbow compensates a bit for his comparative lack of power with good quickness and some nice power in his punch, presuming his hand placement is precise, which it isn’t always. He simply isn’t near the top of my list for the Ravens. I don’t think he’s powerful enough and am worried about his ability to withstand high level bull rushers. Round 3. Ravens – No.
Tate Ratledge
Ratledge is 24 years old, 6’6 and 308 pounds from Georgia. He has 10.375” hands. He logged 37 starts at right guard in college. Ratledge is a powerful player who brings surprising fluidity to maintain his blocks, and is able to execute on the move. He has that nasty edge that you look for.
Ratledge knows how to move people. He’s a pile driver moving up the field. He knows how to seal off defenders on the back side. He’s powerful as a double team blocker, and sets a heavy anchor in pass protection. Power rushers have difficulty moving him. And, Rutledge has a firm understanding of his responsibilities.
This is a player who fits everything the Ravens should be looking for on the inside. If they don’t believe Vorhees is their answer at left guard, Rutledge might well be. There is an injury history with Ratledge; he missed all but one game in 2021 with a right foot injury; one game in 2022 with a shoulder; one game in 2023 with a left knee bone bruise; and four games last year with a left ankle (requiring surgery). The Ravens will have to be comfortable with this, and they might not be. Round 2. Ravens – Yes (if the medicals check out).
Wyatt Milum
Milum is 22.3 years old from West Virginia, 6’6 and 313 pounds with 10.25” hands. He played exclusively at tackle in his college career. Milum is destined to play guard in the NFL if only because of his short arms. Milum has very heavy hands and with his thick frame he sets a sturdy anchor and has good functional strength. He doesn’t always hold his blocks as long as he needs to, and he’s not likely to be the most effective blocker at the second level. Milum has enough mobility to be effective as a puller, and enough drive to push the line. How Milum fares as a pass protector on the inside is an unknown but he has the base and good anchor as his foundations.
Drafting Milum to play left guard has elements of risk that I don’t think I’d take. He didn’t fare particularly well at the Senior Bowl, being out-leveraged on the inside among other things. Round 4. Ravens – No.
Miles Frazier
Frazier is 23.6 years old, 6’5 and 317 pounds from LSU with very small hands. Frazier relies a great deal on his natural strength as opposed to possessing the technical proficiency that you need in the NFL. There’s a lot of work to be done to clean up his game and get to his potential. Frazier’s greatest flaws right now are that he isn’t a very good bender as a pass blocker and has below-grade footwork in the run game, all of which can leave him off balance.
Frazier has all the power you need to be an effective mauler on the interior but he doesn’t always keep his mass centered, causing him to lose power while he’s moving. This suggests he’d be better equipped in gap running schemes while needing more technical refinement at the least for zone assignments. And, given this likelihood I think his value to the Ravens is compromised. Round 3-4. Ravens – No.
Jalen Rivers
Jalen Rivers is 22.6 years old, 6’6 and 319 pound from Miami with 10” hands, 34.78” arms and an 84” wingspan. Rivers has missed quite a bit of time with injuries in his career (nine games with right knee in 2021; three games with a lower right leg injury in 2022, and; five games in 2024). The lengthy injury history is enough to keep him off my board.
Rivers has massive hands and tremendously long arms and knows how to use them to keep defenders away. Rivers started 20 of his last 21 games at left tackle, but I expect him to move inside in the NFL. His tape last year was OK, but he took reps at guard and center at the Senior Bowl practices and his play suggested he’s better on the inside. Rivers offers a sturdy anchor with surprising foot quickness. But he’s not a great bender, in either the run game or in pass protection, a flaw that’s anathema for me.
Rivers has a few strengths – his power and pop – but is not well suited to play on the move. Round 4-5. Ravens – No.
Dylan Fairchild
Fairchild is 22 years old, 6’5 and 325 pounds from Georgia, with 10” hands and 33” arms. He’s a good athlete. Although he isn’t what you would call a mauler at this point, he has a very good punch and powerful hands that stay glued on. He’s fared well on combo blocks and has the effort to finish. Fairchild utilizes his quickness to get to the gaps first, and is effective in space.
Fairchild brings good quickness and agile feet and moves fairly fluidly. He struggled in pass protection against power, as he can wind up too high and lose proper balance. There’s work to be done to make him more effective but he has the hands and feet to get there. He’s a tough competitor who struggled a bit recognizing rush schemes.
Fairchild only has two years of play under his belt. He still has a good ways to go to refine and hone his craft. He’s not likely to be a year one contributor, but is more of a developmental prospect with solid upside. Round 4. Ravens – Maybe (as a backup for 2025).
Caleb Rogers
Rogers is 23.6 years old from Texas Tech, 6’5 and 312 pounds with 9.75” hands and 32.375” arms. Rogers had 55 starts in college with only four coming at guard. He is a very physical player who is able to turn defenders with his hands, with the punch to knock them backwards. He’s a fluid athlete for his size with the ability to lead the way when pulling. However, he hasn’t shown a consistent ability to get to the second level, which you’d like to see with NFL guards.
Rogers has a good solid anchor and should be able to hold his own against interior bull rushers. He’s agile enough on his feet to be able to reset. As a tackle he could get a bit too high which left him exposed to counters, but this should be less of a problem on the interior. Rogers is very durable and was a team captain last year. He plays hot.
As with all primary tackles who figure to move inside, there’s work to be done and, therefore, projection in his evaluation. I like what Rogers can bring and believe he’s a solid developmental prospect with reasonably good upside. Round 5. Ravens – Yes (as a depth piece).
Emery Jones, Jr.
Jones is 21.1 years old, 6’5 and 315 pounds from LSU, with 10.75” hands (huge) and 34.25” arms. He is yet another college tackle who figures to move to the interior in the NFL. Jones is young and in need of a good bit of development to reach his potential in the NFL. He brings the type of fiery competitiveness you love to see on the inside. As a run blocker, he just keeps on blocking and has been a serious finisher. He is a classic power blocker who possesses a big time punch.
On the other hand, Jones really struggles when playing on the move. He often loses his base by over committing, and balancing issues need real work. Whether he can get to the second level as an interior blocker remains to be seen and, for that matter, his comparative lack of lateral mobility also makes his pulling ability a question mark. His hand targeting is also inconsistent. At the Senior Bowl practices he struggled gaining consistency with his footwork.
Jones has tools, but he’s not going to see the field in year one absent injury. There may be a good player inside this package, but it’s going to take a lot of development to find out. Round 5. Ravens – No.
Other Guard Prospects
Bryce Cabeldue, Kansas – He’s 23.6 years old from Kansas, 6’4 and 308 pounds with small hands and a shorter wingspan. Another guard prospect who played exclusively at tackle in college, I don’t think he offers anything special, with risk as an older prospect regarding his move inside. Round 5-6. Ravens – No.
Joe Huber, Wisconsin – He’s 23 years old, 6’5 and 310 pounds with 25 games of starting guard experience. He has small hands and a smaller wingspan. Huber is a solid, steady player who offers depth to an NFL roster. Round 6. Ravens – No.
