Ravens OT Competition Heating Up

The most-intriguing competition on the Baltimore Ravens' offensive line keeps getting more interesting.

Aug 27, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens guard Patrick Mekari (65) during the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Of the Baltimore Ravens' three open offensive line competitions, by far the most intriguing one lies at right tackle.

In the red corner, there's Patrick Mekari, entering his sixth NFL season and one of the most versatile linemen in the entire league. In the blue corner, there's Roger Rosengarten, a second-round rookie who comes to Baltimore with great promise.

Throughout much of training camp, it's seemed that Mekari had the upper hand in the competition, but it was Rosengarten taking first-team reps on Thursday. After practice, head coach John Harbaugh shared his rationale for the change-up.

"I thought Roger has been doing well," Harbaugh told reporters. "I thought he deserved a shot with the ones, you saw him get a shot with the ones today. So, we'll just keep working through that and let it play out."

That's not a slight at Mekari, him being effective anywhere up front is incredibly impressive. However, that also harms his starting chances from a certain point of view, as he makes for an excellent sixth man, for lack of a better term, if a starter goes down.

"It's certainly part of the challenge," Harbaugh said. "That's part of it. [Mekari]'s greatest strength is his versatility. It's also probably the greatest ... [It's a] thorn in his side a little bit. He doesn't get the chance always to lock down at one position, but that's a good problem to have, and we're trying work through that too."

By working at right tackle exclusively throughout training camp, Mekari feels he has grown as both a player and a leader. At the same time, he knows the Ravens will be in good hands even if Rosengarten ends up winning the starting job.

"Roger's been great; he's really immersed in the meetings, [and he's] really locked in at practice," Mekari said. "He's a pro, [and he is] working to get better every day. I like what I'm seeing, so he's going to get it done; he has a chance."

Harbaugh has yet to name definitive starters at any of the three open positions, but with training camp about to reach the midway point, it shouldn't be long before he does.

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