The Baltimore Ravens are putting Jovaughn Gwyn as the team's starting center.
At long last, Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter has announced that guard Jovaughn Gwyn will be the team's starting center. However, there is a caveat to that announcement.
While Minter stated that Gwyn is the starter, he also stated that this is a "Week 1 decision," meaning that Ethan Pocic may potentially move into the position once he is fully healed.
Pocic was signed by the Ravens, and with 97 starts under his belt at center, the initial thought was that he would be the clear-cut starter. However, the longtime veteran suffered an Achilles tear and has been steadily working his way back to action.
During OTAs and minicamp, the center position had been firmly between Gwyn and Danny Pinter. Unfortunately, Pinter suffered a season-ending tendon tear and has since been placed on IR.
Corey Bullock was also thought to be a strong player in the center competition as he was the direct backup to Tyler Linderbaum in 2025, but the Ravens chose to use Bullock at guard.
Bullock was signed waived and claimed by the Carolina Panthers.
Despite Gwyn not playing at center in his career, he has proved to be the starter for at least Week 1.
"Got a lot of confidence in him. This is a guy who, when opportunity knocks he is ready to take advantage, and he's done a really good job. He has obviously repped a lot with our starters over the last couple of weeks. I would say that is a Week 1 decision, not necessarily a permanent decision. Obviously, we know what Ethan is capable of ... we got a lot of confidence as a staff in Jovaughn ..." Minter said.
It is interesting that the Ravens are choosing to state outright that Pocic could become the center down the line. It does give the offense a big backup plan in case Pocic takes a bit longer to heal, or Gwyn is the starter but also ends up not playing well at the position.
That might not be the case, but the silver lining to Minter's decision is that the Baltimore offense will have a very strong center and a strong backup in case injuries or anything else was to occur.
The Ravens need a strong center to not only protect quarterback Lamar Jackson but also help to push the pile and open run lanes for running back Derrick Henry and the rest of the run game. The center is also responsible for getting the line set on plays.
Despite Ronnie Stanley being the offensive line leader, Gwyn will not be working in tandem to ensure that the line can keep the offense working like clockwork.
It will be interesting to see how Minter and the coaching staff handle the potential change if Gwyn is doing well, and Pocic is also fully healthy.
Either way, the center competition is now settled for now. The Ravens are set to prepare for their first game under Minter, as they will take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sep. 13.
