Broncos Massive Deal Highlights Ravens Draft Mistake

Just one decision three years ago is now having serious repercussions on the Baltimore Ravens' offensive line.

Jul 29, 2022; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz (77) during training camp at the UCHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Every NFL team, no matter how successful, has moments that they wish they could have back, and the Baltimore Ravens are no exception.

If anything, one of their recent mistakes looks even worse with the latest developments around the league.

In the thrid round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Ravens selected Georgia guard Ben Cleveland at No. 94 overall. It's no secret that Cleveland hasn't made much of an impact in his first three seasons in Baltimore, starting just seven of 37 games and not doing anything special in those starts. He should have a much greater chance to shine this season as he's in line for the vacated starting right guard job, but his performance thus far hasn't been what the Ravens wanted out of a third-round pick.

An underwhelming pick is one thing, but the fact that a better guard went off the board just a few picks later makes it that much worse. At No. 98 overall, the Denver Broncos selected Wisconsin-Whitewater guard Quinn Meinerz, who has not only started 39 of 45 games, but has performed much better than Cleveland in that larger sample size. He even earned an outstanding 83.7 grade from Pro Football Focus last season, the third-highest among guards.

On Tuesday night, the Broncos rewarded Meinerz with a four-year, $80 million extension that made him one of the highest-paid guards in the league. In the process, they also reminded the Ravens of their past mistake.

Anyone who's been following the Ravens this offseason knows that the biggest question mark on the roster is the offensive line, which saw three starters leave in free agency. If they had a lineman of Meinerz' caliber, there would not be nearly as many questions surrounding the offensive line as there are right now.

Of course, the problem with this hypothetical is that Meinerz' career could have gone down an entirely different path in Baltimore. The Ravens had the luxury of a Pro Bowl right guard in Kevin Zeitler until his departure this offseason, which probably would've blocked Meinerz from starting at his natural position. Perhaps he could've unseated left guard Ben Powers, who ironically left to sign with the Broncos last offseason, but no one can say for sure.

The point is, Meinerz going just a few picks after Cleveland makes that selection by Baltimore look even worse, and those comparisons will persist until the latter proves he can be a consistent starter.

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