Offensive Tackle: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens knew they were getting a good one when they spent a first-round pick on Ronnie Stanley back in 2016. Since then, he’s emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting young offensive tackles. Lamar Jackson certainly appreciates his presence.
While I wouldn’t go as far as calling Stanley an elite talent, he certainly gets the job done on the Baltimore blindside. Despite a number of injuries, he’s proven himself to be a tough, consistent blocker who can excel at slowing the pass rush as well as opening lanes in the ground game.
The more important factor here, though, is that the other top candidates for this spot simply aren’t due for extensions yet. David Bakhtiari’s contract isn’t up until 2021, and Ryan Ramczyk is only in the third year of his rookie deal. Terron Armstead isn’t a free agent until 2022, so he’s also out of the picture.
That leaves Stanley as the most likely candidate to reset the tackle market. While he may not necessarily be worthy of massive money in some folks’ eyes, the Ravens shouldn’t lose too much sleep if they make him the league’s wealthiest blindside blocker next offseason.