The Baltimore Ravens had one of the toughest assignments in the NFL when left tackle Jonathan Ogden retired following the 2007 season. As the Ravens are finding out again this offseason after the retirement of right guard Marshal Yanda, replacing a sure-fire Hall of Famer is nearly impossible. But nine years later, Baltimore did more than an admirable job with the selection of Ronnie Stanley in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Last season, Stanley allowed the fewest single-season pressures (6) by an offensive tackle since Ogden (8) in 2006, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ogden was one of only a handful of offensive linemen to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility. Despite it being such an important position, Hall of Fame voters have tended to ignore top offensive linemen in favor of skill position players. So for Ogden to step out from that shadow and earn the highest of praise speaks to just how impressive he was on the field throughout his career. For Stanley to be mentioned alongside Ogden is impressive enough, but to beat him in a pretty important metric, like quarterback pressures, is nearly unfathomable.
Stanley was by far the most efficient offensive tackle last season, letting up no sacks and only six pressures, according to PFF. The Ravens are trying to re-sign Stanley to a long-term contract, even though he’s still signed through the 2020 season on his fifth-year option. However, Stanley and Baltimore are likely looking at a record-breaking contract when he eventually signs.
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