The Baltimore Ravens found a lot to like about offensive lineman Emery Jones Jr., but they’re going to have to wait even longer to see what he can bring to the table.
The third-round pick, who has yet to get on the field, won’t be ready for the start of the regular season while continuing to rehab his surgically repaired shoulder. Ravens coach John Harbaugh revealed the news following Baltimore’s second preseason game, saying it’s in Jones’ best interest to keep rehabbing and not rushing into things.
Ravens Rookie Emery Jones Jr. to Miss Start of Season
“Yeah, disappointing, he’s not going to make it to the start of the regular season,” Harbaugh told reporters in a daily press conference. “I would say the doctor, the surgeon, the best I can tell you, he wants to be sure that it’s fully right. That’s the way it should be. We respect that. It’s going to take a little longer, so we won’t be counting on him early in the season.”
While the Ravens understandably don’t want to rush Jones and potentially make the injury worse, this is a disappointing update based on previous timelines. Back in May, the hope was Jones would be ready for training camp in July, which certainly wasn’t the case, and now it sounds like the LSU product will miss a decent chunk early in the regular season.
Jones Is Intriguing Prospect, Once He Gets on the Field
Jones was a solid offensive tackle at LSU opposite No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell. He obviously didn’t have the same pedigree as Campbell, whom the Patriots drafted to anchor their offensive line. In fact, a lot of drat experts believe Jones is better suited as a guard in the NFL.
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner is among those who believe guard is Jones’ best bet and gave the Ravens a A-minus grade for the pick, believing Jones could benefit from Baltimore’s system and address a need for the team.
“What I like about this guy’s game is he has the build,” Renner said in a video breakdown after Baltimore drafted Jones. “Over 34-inch arms, 11-inch hands, if you’re just stacking him up how he looks physically, how he holds his 315 pounds, it’s as impressive as anyone else in the draft class.
“The guy has uber talent, it just hasn’t developed on the collegiate football field, but he’s young. … He’s only a true junior coming out. For the Baltimore Ravens, who have done such a good job developing offensive linemen, it’s just another guy to get in the pipeline to either be that right guard spot or left guard spot that are problem issues for the Ravens right now.”
How Ravens’ O-Line Stacks Up for 2025
The silver lining for the Ravens, if you want to call it that, is they’ve had time to adjust to Jones’ absence. As it stands right now, it’s a unit that likely ranks in the middle of the league. Tackle Ronnie Stanley and center Tyler Linderbaum are the only real dependable pieces, and there’s a void Smith could have filled with Patrick Mekari departing for Jacksonville.
In the meantime, polarizing guard Daniel Faalele is hoping for more consistency, and the Ravens need Roger Rosengarten to take a Year 2 leap.
Given some of the uncertainty, the Ravens might need to get Jones in the mix as soon as possible.
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