OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- During Olaivavega Ioane's pro day at Penn State, no one was knocked off their feet more than Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford.
In running the offensive line drills, Ledford decided to hold a blocking bag before the 6-foot-4, 320-pound guard prospect took a rep and it got Ioane thinking. Ioane had already been heavily linked to the Ravens in the first round of mock drafts, and this was his chance to make a strong impression.
"Alright, I'm going to use that to my advantage," Ioane remembers saying to himself. "I'm trying to push him on his ass a little bit."
Ioane drove back Ledford several yards and nearly put him on his back, which reinforced his reputation as one of the draft's most dominant blockers. A month later, Ledford was among those advocating for the Ravens to draft Ioane with their top selection.
Baltimore used the No. 14 overall pick on Ioane, who became only the second guard selected by the Ravens in the first round for a reason. The Ravens believe Ioane's toughness and grit can become the foundation for the Ravens' new-look offensive line.
Ioane is the biggest addition to a line that allowed quarterback Lamar Jackson to get pressured on 37.1% of his dropbacks last season (the worst rate of Jackson's eight-year career). One of the most anticipated days of Ravens training camp will come when Ioane can start showing his power.
At Penn State, Ioane played 1,822 snaps at left guard and 296 on the right. Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire "I can tell physicality is his thing," Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith said. "I'm very excited to see him in camp when the pads get to popping a little bit more."
Ioane immediately lined up as Baltimore's starting right guard from the first day of spring practices. He represents a significant upgrade over Daniel Faalele, whose run block win rate (70.8%) ranked 32nd among guards over the last two seasons and his pass block win rate (93%) was 25th among guards.
During the non-contact workouts, Ioane has impressed coaches with how fast he comes off the ball as well as his professionalism. Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle acknowledged he almost didn't notice the rookie on the field.
"He's in there, and he's a rookie, but he feels like a veteran from his communication or from his relationship with the guys around him," Doyle said. "You can see the athleticism on really a number of the schemes that we're running, as well as in the protection game. He's a guy that is very quiet, but he's hungry to get better."