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Common Ravens draft theme emerging for Lamar Jackson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It isn't too hard to see where the Baltimore Ravens' draft needs are, and given the franchise is picking high (No. 14), it will have a good chance at fixing perhaps its most glaring roster hole.
Center Tyler Linderbaum was signed in free agency by the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving Lamar Jackson without a star center.
That brings us to the draft, and at the time of writing, Lamar's starter for Week 1 appears to be Corey Bullock.
With the Ravens in win-now mode, which way will the franchise go in the first-round of the draft?
For NFL.com's Mike Band, he's gone with guard Olaivavega Ioane.
"Baltimore still has several needs to address, but the interior offensive line feels like the cleanest path after Tyler Linderbaum’s departure," Band wrote. "Ioane gives the Ravens a Day 1 tone-setter inside who can help stabilize the run game around Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry while protecting the offense’s identity."
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Given that so much of Baltimore's offensive power is tied to the run game with Derrick Henry, getting players who can create running lanes is no doubt a priority.
But so too is keeping No. 8 upright in the passing game, so the interior of the offensive line has to be compact.
Ioane helps with that from Day 1, and while the Ravens might look at an outside free agent to bring more depth and be a possible starter, for now, it's one move at a time.
And starting with Ioane isn't a bad way to go.
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