Openthread: Which Raven should start at left guard?

There are two months before training camp kicks off and it’s time for speculation, beginning with the starting left guard position.

Last season, the Ravens rotated multiple players through left guard before settling on James Hurst to switch from right tackle to left guard. Hurst provided solid blocking for most of the season, but couldn’t quite hang on against the Los Angeles Chargers in the the Wildcard matchup. With that being the most recent performance, it’s fair to say this is an open competition. This leads to our question of the day.

Who should start at left guard?

Currently, the Ravens host nine guards on the roster not names Marshal Yanda. Of these nine, three have, at one point, held down the starting left guard role (Alex Lewis, Matt Skura, Hurst). All three have their strengths and weaknesses, but are not the only ones with the opportunity to start in 2019.

Ben Powers, rookie guard out of Oklahoma is another candidate, and a tenacious one at that. We’ve all seen his quotes ad his desire to crush grown men’s dreams, but I’m confident he has his own dream of becoming a starting offensive lineman in the NFL, one he is currently striving for.

Between these four, I’m going with my hope of Powers starting. I like his effort and his game. He’s a tough kid and I think he can pair well next to entrenched starter Ronnie Stanley. These two can play off one another and Powers will learn the ropes quickly.

This all being said, I’m not opposed to Hurst reclaiming his role. Yes, the Wildcard round was rough, but the entire Chargers front was built to demolish the opposing offensive line. It didn’t help that the Chargers were the first team to play Lamar Jackson twice, with Anthony Lynn dialing up the perfect defense for a scheme Marty Mornhinweg refused to adjust.

Now, it’s your turn.