The Baltimore Ravens are down yet another offensive lineman. Rookie guard Vega Ioane is expected to “miss a little time” after suffering an MCL injury in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ioane, 22, went down late in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss and did not return. He was replaced by third-year lineman Emery Jones, who has played a majority of the Ravens’ right guard snaps over their last four games.
Jones entered the regular season as Baltimore’s No. 3 guard, but injuries have pressed him
into a significant role. Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic went down in Week 3, moving Ioane to center and inserting Andrew Vorhees at right guard. Vorhees injured his foot in the same game, giving Jones his first snaps of the season.
Vorhees attempted to play through his foot issue in Week 4, but had to be replaced by Jones mid-game. The 2024 third-round pick started in Weeks 5 and 6 before newly-acquired center Cam Jurgens was able to enter the starting lineup and move Ioane back to his natural position.
If Vorhees’ foot is healed, the Ravens could put him back at right guard. He did get the first crack at the job after Ioane moved to center. But the team might know what they have in Vorhees, who struggled mightily as a starter in 2025. Jones has not been great this year, ranking among the league’s bottom 15 guards in sack rate, pass block efficiency, pass block grade, and run block grade, per Pro Football Focus (min. 150 snaps). But that is still a relatively small sample size, and he still might be the better option to hold down the fort until Ioane gets back.
Ioane, meanwhile, will look to get back on the field as quickly as possible. The No. 14 overall pick impressed at center despite his lack of experience at the position and was primed to build on his even-better play at guard after the Jurgens trade. There was even some chatter of Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration, which could pick back up with a short absence and a strong return. It’s worth noting that Ioane was dealing with an ankle issue heading into Sunday’s game, so the time off should help that injury heal, too.
