While the Baltimore Ravens landed an offensive lineman in the second round, they didn’t find a guard after losing two in free agency, putting more pressure on second-year Andrew Vorhees. Regarded last winter as an early-round draft prospect, he tore his ACL at the Combine. As a result of the injury, he nearly fell out of the draft entirely, but the Ravens invested in him.
They may need to call in their investment now, and to that end, the Ravens are already liking what they’re seeing. Vorhees tore his ACL over a year ago by now, after all, but he’s not yet even been through an NFL practice. You can only glean what he looks like from a physical point of view, but they’re at a good starting point.
“I think it’s probably the first time you’ve seen him out on the field”, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said at rookie minicamp on Saturday, via the team’s website. “He looked well trained, very well trained. He’s been here just basically working out for a whole year, and he was already a strong guy”.
Harbaugh noted that Vorhees still benched 38 reps during the Combine after tearing his ACL, so he’s plenty strong. “He looks great. I’m looking at him right now. He’s big, he’s strong, moving his feet well. He’s been studying for a whole year, and I thought he looked like you’d expect him to look”.
But will he look like a starting guard when the time comes? The Ravens lost both Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson in free agency. They didn’t add to the position via free agency or trade, so they’re examining their in-house options. And, mind you, they need two of them at the moment to replace both Zeitler and Simpson. Even if you assume Andrew Vorhees can step into one role, you also need Ben Cleveland or Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu to hit.
Of course, more than arguably any other organization, the Ravens utilize every month of the calendar to build their roster. They love signing veterans whom other teams released, and they’re willing to execute trades when fitting.
As for Vorhees, who spent his rookie season on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List, he participated in this weekend’s rookie minicamp. This is the first football action of any meaningful sort since he last played in college. With that said, there’s little you can glean from a rookie minicamp setting.
The Ravens only have two positions locked in with their offensive line with former first-round picks. They have Ronnie Stanley at left tackle, who’s annually afflicted with injuries, and Tyler Linderbaum at center. The latter is the only clear long-term solution, and it’s too early to anticipate the same for Vorhees.
But nobody questioned his talent coming out of school before he tore his ACL. Missing a year of football isn’t easy, but many players deal with injuries that keep them away. Vorhees is looking healthy, and that’s all they need to see in May.
