Last week, Baltimore Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh met with the media and spoke about his team’s sixth-round draft pick, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu. The former Oregon Ducks’ offensive lineman was an All-Pac-12 team honorable mention in 2022 after a great senior season.
Aumavae-Laulu was one of two Oregon offensive linemen drafted in 2023. The other was center Alex Forsyth, who went to the Denver Broncos in the seventh round. Aumavae-Laulu was a vital member of the stellar offensive line group for the Ducks in 2022, and he was a key piece in the high production of quarterback Bo Nix and running back Bucky Irving.
Jeff Zrebiec, a senior staff writer for the Athletic, reported that when asked about Aumavae-Laulu, coach Harbaugh said he’s earned the right to first-team reps. What’s interesting about that statement is the Ravens have had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL over the past five years. Aumavae-Laulu breaking into that already elite group so early is impressive. Hopefully, he can make an impact on a Ravens team that has been good but not great in recent years.
One of the reasons the Ravens have struggled to get over the hump has been a lackluster passing offense. A lot of the problem has been a lack of quality wide receivers for quarterback Lamar Jackson to target, but the addition of a blocker such as Aumavae-Laulu, who has experience blocking for a dual-threat QB, Bo Nix, could be beneficial for Jackson and the Ravens’ offense.
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