Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter announced that Jovaughn Gwyn would start at center for the 2026 regular-season opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
“ I would say that’s a Week 1 decision — not necessarily a permanent decision,” Minter added, noting that former Browns starter Ethan Pocic was “still coming back” from a torn Achilles suffered last December.
Gwyn, 27, will now make his first career start against the Colts’ ferocious defensive tackle duo of DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
This will be an early test for offensive coordinator Declan Doyle’s new scheme and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s command of it at the line of scrimmage.
The Ravens’ starting center competition was one of the team’s biggest offseason storylines following Tyler Linderbaum’s departure in free agency. Gwyn was seen as a dark horse after spending three years in Atlanta with offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford, who had a loud voice in The Castle this offseason. Former Colts backup Danny Pinter seemed to take an early lead in spring practices, and Pocic’s arrival in July threatened to push Gwyn to the third string once he was healthy.
But Gwyn’s standout performance in the Ravens’ first preseason game against the Eagles and Pinter’s season-ending knee injury during joint practices in Minnesota propelled him into the first team. Pocic still got plenty of playing time across the last two preseason games, but he never did enough to displace Gwyn. Minter’s comments also indicate that Pocic is not back at 100% and could factor into the picture later in the season.
Gwyn could preempt that with a strong start to the year, especially against such stiff competition. Beyond blocking Buckner and Stewart, he will have to cover all of the mental aspects of the center position. His ability to read the defense and communicate the calls in partnership with Jackson at the line of scrimmage will be crucial.
The Ravens’ decision is another sign of Ledford’s influence within the organization. The team declined to trade up for a center on Day 2 or select one of the several Power Four starters who were available on Day 3, instead trusting their new offensive line coach to coach up one of their other options. Among them was Gwyn, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of South Carolina who Ledford developed in Atlanta and brought with him to Baltimore this offseason. Gwyn stayed on the Falcons’ practice squad for two years before earning the backup center job in 2025.
Early struggles from Gwyn would be a significant problem for the Ravens offense. They would also offer a glimpse at Minter’s in-season management style. Would he be quick to replace Gwyn with Pocic, or would he fall into the past regime’s frustrating pattern of leaving subpar blockers on the field for far too long? The new head coach has preached standards and accountability since he arrived in Baltimore; that would be a chance to practice them. The Ravens, of course, will be hoping that situation never comes up.
It is worth noting that Gwyn is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason – as is Pocic – so Minter’s mention of a non-permanent decision also (perhaps inadvertently) references the team’s lack of a long-term at the center position.
But for at least one week, it will be Gwyn snapping the ball to Jackson when the Ravens offense takes the field.
