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The Baltimore Ravens have another job up for grabs on their starting offensive line opposite of All-Pro Ronnie Stanley after trading two-time Pro Bowl right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday.
The Ravens are considering all of their options to replace Brown Jr., including the draft, and are confident in their ability to bring in a former division rival according to reports.
Ravens had Alejandro Villaneuva in for visit earlier this week. No deal yet, but Ravens confident with where that stands and ability to get deal done. They also have plenty of draft capital to get a tackle in draft.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) April 23, 2021
Villanueva is a seven-year veteran who has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he started 90 of the 96 games he appeared in and made back-to-back Pro Bowls from 2017-2018.
The Ravens hosted Villanueva for an official visit on Thursday, per ESPN’s Josina Anderson, but it was likely just another example of the team doing their due diligence with an experienced veteran at a position of need ahead of the draft. The week prior, the Ravens brought in Justin Houston and other edge defenders for visits but didn’t strike any deals.
With two more picks added to their 2021 total as a result of the Brown Jr. trade, the Ravens are expected to hold off on signing any unrestricted veterans at any position until a few days after the draft when they won’t affect the compensatory pick formula on May 3.
If signed, Villanueva would be expected to compete for the starting right tackle spot and be either a stopgap starter while a rookie develops or provide quality depth for both the left and right sides. He’d be a tremendous upgrade at swing tackle over D.J. Fluker who signed with the Miami Dolphins earlier this week.