Battle in the Trenches: Who Will Seize the Ravens Left Guard Spot?
With NFL Training Camp in full swing, most teams are working to determine who will fill the remaining starting roles at various positions. For the Baltimore Ravens, perhaps the most closely watched position battle is for the final open spot on the offensive line at left guard. The competition between Andrew Vorhees and Ben Cleveland has drawn significant attention from both fans and experts as Week One quickly approaches. If the battle wasn’t already under intense scrutiny, head coach John Harbaugh’s recent comments over the weekend added even more fuel to the fire, offering a potential hint at who the coaching staff may be leaning toward for the starting job.
On Saturday, leading up to the Ravens’ annual stadium practice on Sunday afternoon, Harbaugh provided an update on where the left guard competition currently stands. “Andrew Vorhees is in the lead,” Harbaugh said. “Something would have to change. I will say with Ben, he’ll tell you, the first, three or four days didn’t look too good. Then, the next three or four days looked really good, so good for Ben. Andrew has looked good all the way through, so he’s in the lead at this point.” Harbaugh’s latest comments have raised the question: Can Ben Cleveland put together a late-summer surge to change the coaches’ minds, or is it already too late for the 26-year-old to do so?
When analyzing the journey that both Cleveland and Vorhees have taken in their young NFL careers, it’s clear that both have faced their fair share of adversity. For Vorhees, coming out of USC, the 26-year-old was projected to be drafted anywhere from the late first round to the early third. However, after suffering a torn ACL during the 2023 NFL Combine, which caused the former Trojans guard to fall all the way to the seventh round, where Baltimore selected him, his professional career has largely focused on recovery. Now fully healthy this offseason, the California native is looking to finally take advantage of a clean slate.
Meanwhile, Ben Cleveland’s career has also been anything but straightforward. Since being drafted in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Georgia, Cleveland arrived with plenty of promise but has yet to capitalize on his opportunities and secure a starting role, due in part to concerns about his work ethic, body conditioning, and on-field consistency. To make matters worse, Cleveland was arrested for DUI in February, a development that raised further concerns about his maturity and reliability heading into training camp. Along with the revolving door of competition he’s faced at left guard, the fifth-year pro’s NFL journey reflects the difficult road many players navigate, not only in striving to earn a starting role, but also in trying to gain the full trust of the organization.
As training camp continues in Owings Mills, Maryland, one of the biggest factors that could influence who earns the starting role at left guard is discipline, particularly when it comes to penalties. If the Ravens hope to finally slay their playoff demons and win the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2012-13 season, the offensive line must limit self-inflicted mistakes, especially false starts and holding penalties. That kind of discipline will be crucial in helping Baltimore’s explosive offense get off to a fast start and build momentum as the season progresses. With false starts already a notable issue across the offensive line during camp, coaches will likely weigh which player, Vorhees or Cleveland, demonstrates greater reliability during live reps. Thursday night’s preseason opener at home against the Indianapolis Colts will serve as the first true test to see whether Vorhees can hold onto his lead or if Cleveland can mount a comeback when it matters most.
