Baltimore used the 14th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Penn State offensive lineman Vega Ioane, giving the Ravens a former Penn State guard they believe can step in and shore up a long-troubled spot on the line. Ioane, listed at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, was the best pure run blocker in the draft and played only left guard during his time in Happy Valley.
The Ravens needed help at guard, and this selection, paired with the addition of John Simpson in free agency, could turn a weakness into a strength. The problem was not new. Baltimore also lost center Tyler Linderbaum, one of the league’s best, to Las Vegas, but the club still expects to stay a physical force up front in the Jesse Minter era.
Ioane arrives with a profile that matches the billing. He was a three-year starter at Penn State and ranked No. 12 on Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board, where Brugler called him a thick, sturdy blocker who consistently holds his ground in pass protection and covers up defenders in the run game. Brugler added that Ioane projects as a long-term NFL starter at either guard spot.
The league view is just as favorable. One anonymous coach said Ioane grew on him, called him a typical right guard in the NFL and said he expected him to have a good career. The coach added that Ioane should fit in a pro-style, gap-scheme offense and still has enough versatility to play in a West Coast, outside zone scheme.
That evaluation may carry extra weight because Penn State did not ask Ioane to bounce around much. He played some tackle in high school, but at Penn State he stayed at left guard and became a steady, three-year starter. Brugler’s scouting report and the coach’s view both point to the same thing: a player who does not need a long runway.
The Ravens are betting he can be a plus-starter right away. For a team that has spent years trying to settle the interior of its offensive line, Ioane’s arrival is more than another draft pick. It is a direct answer to a problem Baltimore has not been able to ignore.
