Ravens 2016 Positional Grades: Offensive Line

After handing out grades to quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks and wide receivers, it’s time to finish off the offense with the offensive line.

Marshal Yanda: A

Yanda is the best guard in the NFL, and he continued to prove why this season. Game in and game out, Yanda flat out dominated his opposition. Yanda was yet again selected to the Pro Bowl, and finished the year as the highest graded player at his position by Pro Football Focus. Yanda was the highest graded Raven in both pass protection and run blocking. Yanda’s injuries are the only reason he doesn’t have an A+.

Ronnie Stanley: A

Stanley started out slow, the lowest point coming against the Steelers in Week 9. However, since then, Stanley has been the best left tackle in the NFL in terms of pass protection. Stanley had a long streak over the second half of the season where he did not even allow a single QB pressure. Stanley overall had a great rookie season, and with a little refinement, could become one of the top tackles in the league.

Jeremy Zuttah: D

Zuttah snuggled mightily down the stretch for the Ravens. His costly penalties and inconsistent blocking was a liability for the offense. In addition, the accuracy on his snaps was not always consistent. The Ravens are now very much in the market for a new center following Zuttah’s down year.

Ricky Wagner: B

Wagner had another good season in 2016. While he doesn’t jump off the page, Wagner was solid in both pass protection and run blocking this season. He was also very durable in a year that saw the offensive line suffer many injuries. Wagner did not get as much attention as other lineman like Yanda and Stanley, but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t play well. His consistency and reliability made him a key piece to the Ravens 2016 offense.

Vlad Ducasse: C

Ducasse didn’t have an easy role. He was signed by the Ravens coming into the 2016 season, and was thrown into the fire midway through the year. Once Alex Lewis went down, Ducasse stepped in to the right guard slot, as Yanda moved over to the left side. Ducasse was largely inconsistent when on the field, but receives the low grade due to the number of penalties he amassed this season.

Alex Lewis: B-

Lewis had to transition from playing tackle at Nebraska to playing guard for the Ravens, and he did a great job. Lewis proved to be a strong blocker, and has the skill set and size of a prototypical Big Ten lineman. Lewis is the left guard of the future, as Yanda will slide back to the right side.

John Urschel: C-

Urschel did not get much playing time, and seemed to regress this season. Many projected him to be a starter coming into this season, and thus the selection of Lewis in the 2016 Draft to be unnecessary. But Lewis outplayed Urschel in camp, and it was Ducasse that stepped into Lewis’ role upon his injury, not Urschel.

Ryan Jensen, James Hurst: N/A

These two didn’t play enough snaps to receive a grade.

Keep an eye out for the next edition of 2016 player grades as defense becomes the focus, starting with the defensive line.