As the Ravens head into the 2024 NFL Draft, we’re taking a more detailed look at the top players projected to Baltimore with pick No. 30.
Today, we’ll focus on Arizona offensive tackle Jordan Morgan:
Why He Makes Sense:
The Ravens have openings at right tackle and both guard spots. Morgan could play any of the three, giving him valuable versatility. He checks a lot of boxes and could be a steadier early contributor than some of his peers.
While not as towering as some of the other offensive tackle prospects in this year’s draft, such as Mims (Georgia) and Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma), Morgan has adequate size at 6 foot 5, 311 pounds. While Mims and Guyton are low on experience, Morgan started 37 games over his college career. The team captain fought his way through adversity, coming back after a late-season ACL tear in 2022 to start all 12 games in 2023.
Why He Could Make it to No. 30:
The question with Morgan is how effective he’ll be at offensive tackle in the NFL. While all his college experience was at left tackle, some pundits believe he would be a better guard and other teams may as well. That is pure projection, but if the Ravens are looking for an offensive tackle of the present and future, it remains to be seen how they view Morgan.
A quick-footed blocker, Morgan displays range and aggression in the run game and gets on top of rushers quickly in his jump sets when he uses well-timed hands. His struggles in pass protection come when he is overaggressive with his kick slide and gets too far up the arc, which can create a two-way go for rushers and open the door for inside counters. Overall, Morgan struggles to anchor mid-slide versus power, but he is a balanced mover who is well-schooled and physical in all phases. Though he can survive at tackle in the NFL, his skill set projects much better inside at guard, similar to Matthew Bergeron.
Morgan is a very athletic left tackle with average size. In pass pro, he is quick out of his stance to meet and cover up speed rushers. He can sink his weight and drop levels when bull rushed. He also does a nice job re-working his hands when he gets knocked back to regain leverage. He struggles to redirect inside when facing counter moves, getting beat on that inside shoulder too often. He also will occasionally duck his head, which is correctable. In the run game, he is more finesse than power. He can use his quickness to cut off the back side and he takes excellent angles to the second level to wall off linebackers. He doesn’t have a lot of knock-back power to displace defenders over his nose. Morgan is just over a year removed from ACL surgery, and I’m hopeful he can add more strength/power now that he’s healthy. Overall, he has starting tackle ability. Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
Three-year starter who displayed his resilience and work ethic by coming back and playing good football after suffering a torn ACL late in the 2022 season. Morgan is both fluid and flexible in space, with the ability to help spring running plays with second-level blocks and play-side lead blocking. He fails to secure back-side cutoffs too frequently, but improving his pad level and landmarks might fix that issue. His punch approach diminishes his pass protection length and causes him to lose connection at the top of the rush. He will need to get his hands and feet synced up in order to improve his balance and consistency against athletic rushers. He’s a capable run blocker and pass protector, and he features project able upside with more work. Morgan has the traits and talent to become a solid starting left tackle.” – Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
Morgan is a smooth-moving prospect whose best position in the NFL might be guard. His track and field background gives him natural balance and core strength for good change-of-direction ability. His arm length isn’t elite for offensive tackle play, but it should be adequate. While his footwork is fast, the strides in his kick slide are short. His hand placement, patience and football IQ are all pluses. Though listed at 325 pounds, he lacks density and strength. Bull rushes can overwhelm him if they come at an angle, and though he has the foot speed to stay in front of pass rushers, he doesn’t have the natural strength to redirect their momentum. Pro Football Focus
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