Ryan Ramczyk is the starting left tackle for the Wisconsin Badgers. He had played division III football before transferring to Wisconsin for his redshirt junior year. During his time at Wisconsin, Ramczyk has become a primer offensive tackle, earning First Team All American and First Team Big Ten honors. Ramczyk has recently been linked with the Ravens in mock drafts, so we will take an in depth look at him.
Strengths
One of Ramczyk’s best abilities is his run blocking abilities. He is an exceptional run blocker, as Wisconsin is a run first ground and pound team, and produces some of the best run blocking offensive linemen. Ricky Wagner, the offensive tackle the Ravens lost in free agency, was from Wisconsin. He is also a formidable pass blocker on top of his run blocking talent. He’s strong, and is able to block a long time. He put up 25 reps on the 225 pound bench press at the combine. He has good footwork and mobility, and is able to maneuver around to prevent the edge rusher from getting to the quarterback. Finally, Ramczyk has great size. He’s 6’6″, 310 pounds, and uses his size to his advantage well.
Weaknesses
One of Ramczyk’s weaknesses is that he tends to be inconsistent when a defender uses a spin move on him. He tends to lose defenders at that point. He also sometimes loses his blocks on a blitz, especially by defensive backs. Ramczyk needs to improve at these two things.
His Fit on the Ravens
If the Ravens decide to draft Ryan Ramczyk, he would become the starting right tackle on day one, to replace the former Wisconsin tackle Ricky Wagner. He would have to be picked in the first round by the Ravens, which would make back to back years for the Ravens picking an offensive tackle in the first round. Picking Ramczyk would greatly improve the offensive line, and offense in general.
Rating
Overall, I give Ryan Ramczyk a 4.3/5.0 rating. He’s an excellent offensive tackle, who is great at both run blocking and pass blocking. He was a dominant offensive tackle at Wisconsin, however he still needs to improve on a few minor points. His experience in both Division III and Division I football shows his development and how much more he can develop. He has the potential to be a great anchor for the Ravens offensive line, alongside Marshal Yanda and Ronnie Stanley.
