The Baltimore Ravens are no strangers to letting the draft come to them, often capitalizing on top-tier talent that unexpectedly slides down the board with a best-player-available approach. Under general manager Eric DeCosta, the organization has built a reputation for patience and discipline, and the process worked out again on Thursday night.

In a move that's been mocked and predicted for weeks, the Baltimore Ravens selected Penn State All-American guard Olaivavega Ioane with the No. 14 pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The Ravens are no strangers to letting the draft come to them, often capitalizing on top-tier talent that unexpectedly slides down the board with a best-player-available approach.

Olaivavega Ioane is a true plug-and-play starter with perennial Pro Bowl potential pic.twitter.com/eHlFEi11tX

The board settled in, and after Spencer Fano and Kadyn Proctor came off the board, Ioane landed with the team that badly needs his physicality and dominant traits inside at offensive guard.

The Ravens are built to contend now, and Ioane is an immediate Day 1 starter at right guard opposite John Simpson.

Ioane plays with intense power and quickness, using 330 pounds of elite force, earning second-team All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation as an offensive guard. Ioane is the 158th Nittany Lion (192nd selection) to be named an All-American by an NCAA-recognized outlet (AFCA, Associated Press, FWAA, The Sporting News, Walter Camp Football Foundation). Ioane was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team in 2024 and to the Honorable Mention Team in 2023. He'll exit State College after playing in 44 games and making 32 starts at Penn State. According to PFF, he allowed zero sacks and three pressures in 310 pass blocking snaps in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Highlights of Ravens' first-round pick Olaivavega Ioane