A Baltimore Ravens fan reacts to the team's first overall draft selection of guard Olaivavega Ioane during an NFL football draft party at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)Baltimore Ravens fans react to the team's first overall draft selection of guard Olaivavega Ioane during an NFL football draft party at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 2NFL Draft Ravens FootballA Baltimore Ravens fan reacts to the team's first overall draft selection of guard Olaivavega Ioane during an NFL football draft party at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)1 / 2NFL Draft Ravens FootballA Baltimore Ravens fan reacts to the team's first overall draft selection of guard Olaivavega Ioane during an NFL football draft party at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)2 / 2NFL Draft Ravens FootballBaltimore Ravens fans react to the team's first overall draft selection of guard Olaivavega Ioane during an NFL football draft party at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)NOAH TRISTERFri, April 24, 2026 at 1:52 AM UTC·1 min readOWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens took Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane with the 14th pick in the draft Thursday night.
Ioane fills an obvious need for the Ravens, who had problems in the middle of the offensive line last season and then lost star center Tyler Linderbaum to free agency. There were other possible options — Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. was still available — but ultimately Baltimore ended up with a player that was expected to be one of its targets all along.
Despite a disappointing season for Penn State, Ioane was a second-team All-American.
The Ravens went 8-9 last season, missed the playoffs and then fired coach John Harbaugh. They shored up one obvious need — the pass rush — by signing Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
They almost didn't have the 14th pick. They agreed to send two first-round picks to the Raiders for Maxx Crosby, then backed out of that deal before it became official.