With the 229th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Baltimore Ravens selected offensive guard Andrew Vorhees out of the University of Southern California, adding a potential future starting lineman for the low price of a 2024 sixth-round pick.
Vorhees’ selection earned rave reviews from our panel of analysts, who praised the shrewdness of the Ravens’ front office in snagging a high-upside player so late in the draft. Vorhees’ run-blocking skills were specifically highlighted, contributing to his A+ cumulative draft grade.
Nikhil Mehta
Grade: A+
I have no clue how Vorhees fell to the 7th round, even with his torn ACL forcing a redshirt rookie year. He’s a physically gifted, technically-sound guard with the floor of a solid starter and ceiling of a Pro Bowler. He has excellent upper body strength – as evidenced by his injury-be-damned bench press performance at the Combine – but doesn’t rely solely on that to win blocks. He drives his feet to square up, maintain and finish blocks, often with some gusto, taking his man out of the play entirely. He’s a people-mover in the run game with a good feel for angles and leverage, though he plays a little high which will need to change in the NFL. He’s a solid puller who finds work at the second level, though he can sometimes get caught out over his skis against speedy linebackers.
In pass protection, Vorhees is patient and powerful, with quick feet and good mirroring against most of his matchups. He isn’t the fastest out of his stance, with a good first step but a slower second, and occasionally struggles with speed to his inside. He picks up and passes off stunts and twists well, but can be a little late identifying blitzers from the second level and getting to them. Overall, he’s a rock-solid guard prospect who will start for a long time in the NFL. If Vorhees was healthy, I’d even be perfectly comfortable starting him this year, especially running all kinds of zone concepts and hitting combo blocks with Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum. He’s a Ravens offensive lineman through and through: smart and tough with a healthy desire to finish plays and move the pile.
Alternate pick: Absolutely nobody
There are players I liked who went after Vorhees – Moro Ojomo, Kenny McIntosh, Corey Trice – but there’s no other reason to trade a future pick than to secure four years of Vorhees as opposed to the standard three-year undrafted rookie contracts, if he even made it out of Round 7.
Jared Pinder
Grade: A+
Where to begin with Vorhees, man? He is such a sound guard prospect with high-level run-blocking tape. He is also great in pass pro and is unbelievably strong. This pick is all about 2024 and beyond, as Vorhees tore his ACL and EDC confirmed he is taking an entire red shirt season. But rest assured: he will be an option for the Ravens in future years. This pick has all the upside and the world, and because he is a 7th-round pick, there is no risk with this pick. I understand why he was available in the 7th but he is such a value here for the Ravens.
Alternate pick: Cory Trice Jr.
Rarely do you get Corners with such good press tape this late, but Trice was available here. This pick is a bit moot, considering they drafted Kelly in the fifth, but Trice was too good of a player to be available in the seventh. Either of these picks would have been A’s for me, but the Ravens went for it with Vorhees. I prefer Vorhees here but Trice would be great value as well.
Zachary Siegel
Grade: A+
I cannot say enough good things about this draft pick. If it were not for his unfortunate injury, he would have never even been available. Going back to the drawing board at the 11th hour and trading back into the draft for a player of this caliber was a brilliant play by EDC and company. While this pick is not one that will have an immediate impact, it is an investment for the future, and building depth in your line is always a good thing. Similarly to the David Ojabo pick last season, we will not see him play much playing time this season, if any at all, but come next year we should be seeing him display that early round talent we know he possesses.
Voorhees is a very big and physical type of athlete who, and as we saw at the combine, is very strong. With a torn ACL, this young man, this animal, put up 38 repetitions on bench press. This was not only the most amount of repetitions among lineman, but among everyone in the draft. I will have to curb my enthusiasm for the time being, but I am very excited to see what this guy will do.
Alternate pick: Alex Forsyth
It is hard to say that the Ravens should have chosen anyone other than Voorhees with this pick, but if they were to, I suggest an interior lineman. Forsyth played center at Oregon and was teammates with Big Sala. He is huge coming in at 6’ 4” and 303 lbs., and was graded as a high upside career backup. The Ravens already have a great young center in Tyler Linderbaum, but with how injury prone the team has been, you can never be too careful.
Kevin McNelis
Grade: A+
I can’t say enough good things about this pick. As an investment in the future, the franchise bought low on a guy who could become a cornerstone guard if his health returns to 100%. Vorhees was worth a future 6th round pick any day of the week.
Alternate pick: Moro Ojomo
I certainly wouldn’t have preferred to see Ojomo here, but this could have been a route that the front office decided to go to add a big body at DT.
Rob Shields
Grade: A+
The Ravens unexpectedly traded back into the 2023 draft and draft Jason’s little brother, Andrew Voorhees. It was a shrewd move by the Ravens since Vorhees, who tore his ACL at the combine, was an expected early round pick. This will be an red shirt year for him and that’s OK. This pick was for the future and the hope that he can get back what he was. If he can, he’s a starting guard in this league that you got basically for free. Even if he never pans out, it’s still an excellent trade and move by EDC and with the way the Ravens draft and develop offensive linemen, you feel pretty good about him becoming an asset long term.
Alternate pick: Cory Trice Jr.
The Ravens didn’t have a pick and they traded into 7th round of the draft specifically for this player, so it’s tough to say they missed on someone but Trice, a CB out of Purdue, was a surprise slip to the 7th round and could have some upside as a CB that could play a lot.
Cumulative Grade: A+
