Ravens Guard Taking Advice From Predecessor

The Baltimore Ravens' new-look offensive line is taking lessons from the past.

Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Daniel Faalele (77) looks on before a game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-Imagn Images / Jessica Rapfogel-Imagn Images

Daniel Faalele is firmly in uncharted territory this season, but he's far from alone.

Faalele, a 2022 fourth-round pick from Minnesota, earned the Ravens' starting right guard job this offseason, marking his first real chance at starting action. Not only is Faalele a natural tackle, though, someone at his size - 6-8 and 380 pounds - playing inside is extremely rare.

It's definitely a work in progress for the Austrailian-born lineman, but he's got some great help in his corner. Recently, Faalele revealed he's been receiving from Pro Bowler Kevin Zeitler, who was the Ravens' starting right guard for the past three seasons before signing with the Detroit Lions earlier this offseason. Faalele said Zeitler first reached out after the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 9.

"Using him as a resource has been good for me," Faalele said, per the Ravens' site. "Just technique, how he approaches different blocks, hand placement, all the little details that he's really detailed on. I appreciate 'Zeit' a lot."

If there's any former Raven to learn the ropes from, Zeitler is a pretty good option. The 34-year-old started all 47 games he played for Baltimore, and was a rock-solid piece of the line for three years running.

Faalele got his first regular season action in his new role against the Kansas City Chiefs last week, though he was left wanting more. According to Next Gen Stats, he allowed a team-high six pressures on 52 pass-blocking snaps.

To his credit, though, he did improve throughout the game, and now looks to improve further against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

"I felt like there's some good things I did and some bad things that I've got to work on," Faalele said. "Overall, I think it was a good first day out.

"You've just got to trust the process, trust the coaching, learn from other players that have played the position and work on something each day to work towards reaching my potential."

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