Ravens 2021 NFL Draft Profile: C Josh Myers

The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2021 offseason determined to improve the interior of their offensive line per Head Coach John Harbaugh and General Manager Eric DeCosta. They already upgraded at right guard, where they sorely missed Marshal Yanda last year, by signing veteran Kevin Zeitler but could use another quality option to compete at center.

If they want to keep Bradley Bozeman at left guard where he has thrived the past two seasons, finding another natural at the position in the draft is an avenue to explore. While he is still relatively new to playing center, Ohio State’s Josh Myers was a two-year starter in the middle of the Buckeye’s stalwart offensive line and projects to have a long career at the next level.

The former four-star recruit was one of the best guards in the country coming out of high school and even though he received interest from some of the best Power Five programs, he decided to stay in his home state.

He redshirted his true freshman year in 2017 and provided depth at guard in 2018 before going on to anchor one of the best offensive lines in the nation over the last two seasons. As a redshirt sophomore, Myers helped Ravens’ standout 2020 rookie running back J.K. Dobbins eclipse 2,000 yards rushing.

Last year he helped propel the Buckeyes offense and top-five quarterback prospect Justin Fields to the national title game and was a finalist for the Rimington Award which is given to the top center in the country.

Myers has experience playing in multiple run blocking schemes but is at this best opening holes between the tackles. While he isn’t quite a technician, he does have good technique and a solid understanding of how to gain and manipulate leverage as a run blocker, which would serve him well in the Ravens’ run-centric offense.

He is well proportioned at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds with a broad frame and lean physique. His nice build, wide base, and adequate footwork make him match up well against interior defensive linemen.

One of the most important jobs of the center before snapping the ball and executing his blocking responsibilities is assisting the quarterback and his fellow linemen identify pressures and adjust accordingly. Myers has shown the ability to both make calls as a good communicator at the line of scrimmage and process shifts in front sevens that move around pre-snap.

He’s not the best athlete but he does possess some nice lateral movement skills, works well to the second level to take out linebackers, and is always looking for more work. As a pass blocker, he anchors well and knocks defenders off their angle of attack.

One issue in his game is his tendency to sometimes lunge, which throws off his center of gravity, causing him to lose his balance in the process. He also needs to work on sustaining his blocks because mobile quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson will buy more time for his receivers to get open by running around in the backfield.

Ravens offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris is great at coaching bad habits out of linemen both young and old so Myers could get those fixed relatively quickly if he winds up in Baltimore.

He’s projected to be a mid-round pick and the Ravens currently have a pair of picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds so the odds of landing Myers are high if they don’t address the center position in the early rounds. Even if they do, he has the positional versatility that they covet to play and provide depth at any spot on the interior.