Jovaughn Gwyn Wins Ravens Starting Center Job Ahead of Week 1
The Baltimore Ravens have finally answered one of their biggest questions of the offseason, naming Jovaughn Gwyn their starting center for Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Jesse Minter announced the decision Monday after a competition that stretched through virtually the entire offseason, training camp and preseason. Gwyn will now be responsible for snapping the football to Lamar Jackson and anchoring a rebuilt interior offensive line when Baltimore opens its season Sept. 13 in Indianapolis.
The decision represents one of the more surprising developments of Ravens training camp. Baltimore entered the summer searching for a replacement for former Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum, who departed for the Las Vegas Raiders during free agency, leaving a significant hole in the middle of the offensive line. Rather than spending heavily on a long-term replacement, the Ravens created an open competition and ultimately watched Gwyn take advantage of his opportunity.
Minter made it clear that the coaching staff has developed considerable confidence in Gwyn during the summer. The Ravens head coach praised Gwyn for capitalizing on his opportunities throughout camp and earning the chance to open the season with the first-team offense. While Minter stopped short of declaring Gwyn the starter for the entire season, Baltimore has seen enough to give him the first opportunity to secure the position.
Gwyn Emerges From Crowded Competition
Baltimore originally entered organized team activities with Gwyn, Danny Pinter and Corey Bullock competing for the position. The Ravens had reportedly hoped to select one of the top centers available during the 2026 NFL Draft, but those prospects came off the board earlier than Baltimore anticipated. General manager Eric DeCosta instead stayed patient and allowed the coaching staff to evaluate the options already on the roster.
The competition changed considerably when Baltimore added veteran Ethan Pocic before training camp. Pocic brought by far the most NFL experience of the group, having started 97 games during nine NFL seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns. Baltimore signed Pocic to a one-year contract worth $3 million with another $1.5 million available through incentives, immediately making him one of the favorites for the position.
Pocic was also returning from an Achilles injury suffered during the 2025 season, however, creating some uncertainty regarding how quickly he could regain his previous form. Baltimore maintained throughout camp that the position would be determined through competition rather than reputation. Offensive line coach and run game coordinator Dwayne Ledford repeatedly indicated that the Ravens wanted to give each candidate legitimate opportunities with the first-team offense before making a decision.
Pinter appeared positioned to play a major role in that competition before suffering a devastating knee injury during Baltimore’s Aug. 19 joint practice with the Minnesota Vikings. The injury ended Pinter’s season and dramatically reduced the competition to primarily Gwyn and Pocic. Gwyn responded by continuing to perform consistently enough for Baltimore to hand him the job heading into Week 1.
Who Is Jovaughn Gwyn?
Gwyn is not a household name, but the Ravens believe they may have uncovered a player capable of handling a critical position in their offense. The Atlanta Falcons originally selected him in the seventh round with the 225th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft after a productive career at South Carolina. He spent his first three NFL seasons with Atlanta before signing a one-year contract with Baltimore during the offseason.
Despite entering his fourth NFL season, Gwyn has relatively little regular-season offensive experience. He appeared in 19 games during his first three seasons but did not start one, spending most of his time as a reserve offensive lineman and special-teams contributor. According to Pro Football Reference, Gwyn played in 17 games for Atlanta during the 2025 season after appearing in one game during each of his first two NFL seasons.
His limited NFL résumé does not tell the entire story. Gwyn was an extremely experienced college offensive lineman at South Carolina, where he became one of the most durable players in the program. He started 47 consecutive games for the Gamecocks, tying for second on South Carolina’s all-time list for consecutive starts and fourth in program history for total starts.
Gwyn spent most of that time at right guard, developing a reputation for toughness, strength and reliability against SEC defensive fronts. He earned second-team All-SEC honors from the conference’s coaches following the 2022 season and served as a team captain during both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. His college experience also included helping South Carolina running back Kevin Harris become the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2013 during the 2020 season.
There is also an important connection between Gwyn and Baltimore offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford. Ledford coached Gwyn in Atlanta before joining Minter’s staff with the Ravens, giving Baltimore’s offensive line coach extensive familiarity with Gwyn’s strengths and development. That relationship likely gave Baltimore confidence that Gwyn could transition into a larger role despite having limited regular-season experience at center.
A Completely Rebuilt Interior Offensive Line
Gwyn will be operating in the middle of an offensive line that looks significantly different from the unit Baltimore fielded previously. The Ravens signed veteran John Simpson to handle left guard and used their first-round selection on Vega Ioane, who is expected to start at right guard. That means Baltimore could potentially enter Week 1 with new starters at all three interior offensive line positions.
That puts even more responsibility on Gwyn because center is not simply another blocking position. He must identify defensive fronts, communicate protections, deliver consistent shotgun snaps to Jackson and coordinate assignments with Simpson and Ioane. Those responsibilities become even more important in Baltimore because Jackson frequently changes plays and protections based on what he sees before the snap.
Baltimore also expects to remain one of the NFL’s premier rushing offenses with Derrick Henry operating alongside Jackson. The center plays an enormous role in creating interior movement, reaching linebackers at the second level and keeping penetration away from the backfield. Gwyn’s ability to generate movement against defensive tackles could ultimately determine whether Baltimore’s rebuilt line maintains the physical identity that has defined the Ravens for years.
His first assignment will not be easy.
Indianapolis features one of the league’s strongest interior defensive players in DeForest Buckner, along with veteran defensive tackle Grover Stewart and pass-rushing specialist Adetomiwa Adebawore. The Colts will almost certainly test Gwyn and Baltimore’s inexperienced interior combination immediately. If Indianapolis can create pressure through the A-gaps, Jackson could face considerably more difficulty operating comfortably from the pocket.
Gwyn Has a Huge Opportunity
For Gwyn, this could become one of the biggest opportunities of his professional career. He arrived in Baltimore on a one-year contract largely viewed as an offensive line depth signing and now finds himself preparing to start at center for a team with legitimate Super Bowl expectations. A strong performance could turn an overlooked seventh-round pick into a long-term answer at one of Baltimore’s most important offensive positions.
There is also no guarantee that the competition has permanently ended. Minter’s comments indicate that Baltimore will continue evaluating the position, particularly as Pocic gets further removed from his Achilles injury. Gwyn has earned the first opportunity, but his performance during the opening portion of the schedule will likely determine whether he keeps it.
That gives Gwyn both an enormous opportunity and considerable pressure. Baltimore has Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and a roster built to contend for a championship right now, meaning the Ravens cannot afford instability at the center position for very long. Gwyn does not need to become Tyler Linderbaum immediately, but Baltimore needs consistent snaps, strong communication and dependable blocking from the middle of its offensive line.
The Ravens believe he can provide it.
MSB Take
Jovaughn Gwyn winning this job is one of the most fascinating developments of Ravens training camp. Baltimore signed Ethan Pocic because he had 97 career starts and appeared to provide the safest option at center, yet Gwyn performed well enough for the Ravens to trust a player with zero career NFL starts to protect Lamar Jackson and help lead an offense with Super Bowl aspirations.
That says a lot about what Dwayne Ledford and Jesse Minter have seen from Gwyn behind the scenes. Ledford already knew him from Atlanta, and the Ravens clearly believe his intelligence, toughness and consistency outweigh his lack of starting experience. Baltimore has traditionally been willing to trust developmental offensive linemen when the coaching staff believes they have earned an opportunity.
Still, this position deserves close attention beginning Sunday against Indianapolis. Going from 11 offensive snaps during the 2025 season to starting center alongside Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is an enormous jump, and the Colts have exactly the type of defensive tackles capable of exposing communication problems or technical weaknesses. Baltimore’s interior offensive line could be tested early and often.
If Gwyn handles it, the Ravens may have found another inexpensive offensive-line solution when almost everyone expected Pocic to win the job. If he struggles, Baltimore has an experienced alternative waiting behind him.
For now, though, Jovaughn Gwyn earned the job.
And Baltimore is putting the middle of its offense in his hands.
