The fatal flaw Baltimore Ravens must address in training camp

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For the Baltimore Ravens, it’s Super Bowl or bust in 2025. They’ve been knocking on the door for years. This time, the team looks even more formidable. Lamar Jackson is coming off an MVP-caliber season and leads an offense that ranked first in total yardage in 2024. The defense? It was even better, especially down the stretch. They allowed just 15.4 points per game over the final seven contests. Simply put, this is a team without many holes.

The Ravens return all but four starters from last year’s AFC North champion squad. They also made key additions in former Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and shutdown corner Jaire Alexander. The window is wide open. With training camp underway, though, Baltimore still has one nagging question to answer. It’s one that could make or break their Super Bowl dreams.

Loaded Roster, Lofty Goals

Is this the year Lamar Jackson leads the Ravens to the promised land? All signs point to yes. Baltimore has invested in both sides of the ball and built one of the most balanced, dangerous rosters in the NFL. The offense is as explosive as ever. Jackson is now throwing to a receiving trio that includes Hopkins, Rashod Bateman, Zay Flowers, and tight end Mark Andrews. The backfield tandem of Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell promises thunder and lightning in equal measure.

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On defense, Alexander joins a unit that was already elite. The pass rush led by Nnamdi Madubuike and Odafe Oweh is poised for another disruptive season. So what’s left to worry about?

Ther’es very little, except for one problem that simply won’t go away. Here we’ll try to look at the fatal flaw that the Baltimore Ravens must address in their 2025 NFL training camp.

Guard Play Could Derail It All

If there’s one spot on the Ravens’ depth chart that fans should be watching closely this summer, it’s at guard. That may seem nitpicky on a Super Bowl-caliber team. However, history has shown that a shaky interior offensive line can ruin even the best-laid plans.

Let’s call it what it is: guard play was a weakness last year. It hasn’t been convincingly addressed.

After losing Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in free agency ahead of the 2024 season, the Ravens turned to Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele to man the interior. The results were mixed. Sure, they held their own in pass protection at times. Still, the run blocking left a lot to be desired, especially on Faalele’s end. That’s where he ranked among the worst in the league in run block win rate (71.8 percent).

O-Line Got Softer

This offseason, things got murkier. Mekari, arguably the most versatile lineman on the roster, signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the Jaguars in March. Baltimore has yet to name a clear-cut starter to replace him at left guard.

The leading contenders? Andrew Vorhees or Ben Cleveland. Vorhees is still relatively unproven coming off a long recovery from a torn ACL. Cleveland has flashed power but lacks consistency and foot speed. And relying on a rookie like Garrett Dellinger comes with inherent risks in a year with championship aspirations.

It’s a position battle without a clear winner so far, and that’s exactly what should concern Baltimore.

The Wild Card in the Mix

Enter Joe Noteboom. That’s a name few expected to matter this much.

The Ravens signed the 30-year-old former Los Angeles Ram in May on a quiet, low-risk one-year deal worth just $2 million. On paper, he was a depth signing. That said, Noteboom’s positional flexibility could make him the team’s unsung hero by the time the season kicks off.

Noteboom has started games at both tackle spots and guard over his seven-year career. Sure, he’s not an All-Pro. However, he brings veteran savvy and the kind of experience that can stabilize a He’s reportedly penciled in as the backup left tackle, but don’t be surprised if he gets first-team reps at left guard during camp.

The Ravens love linemen who can move around, and Noteboom fits that mold. If none of the younger options seize the job, he could be the one who quietly solves the problem. That’s just like how Mekari once did.

Health and Cohesion Still the Priority

Even with the guard spot unsettled, the Ravens enter training camp in a position of strength. Their biggest goal in the coming weeks isn’t adding talent. It’s getting everyone healthy and on the same page.

Lamar Jackson can carry a lot of weight, but he’ll need clean pockets to hit his playmakers in stride. The offensive line doesn’t need to be dominant. It just can’t be the thing that gets this team beat.

For Baltimore, everything is in place. The MVP quarterback. The elite defense. The veteran weapons. The only thing standing in the way of a Super Bowl run may be five feet to the left of the center.

Training camp is the time to fix it or risk seeing this season end like so many others: one step short.

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