The Baltimore Ravens fell to the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 by the final score of 31-30. Baltimore was missing countless key contributors on both sides of the ball, but the team was still able to go toe-to-toe with future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and company.
One of the players who missed Week 15 with an injury was guard Ben Powers. The third-year guard out of the Unviersity of Oklahoma had been starting the majority of games at the position, but his absence paved the way for rookie guard Ben Cleveland to make the first start of his NFL career. When guard Kevin Zeitler was asked about his thoughts on the performance of Cleveland in Week 15, the veteran had high praise for the young offensive lineman.
“He did great. Coming out there, unexpectedly with [Ben] Powers going down, he came in, [and] he prepped hard all week. He’s a big, strong man, and he showed it out there this last Sunday.”
Selected in the third round of the 2021 draft, Cleveland has been through a lot during his rookie season. He battled for the starting left guard spot, was placed on injured reserve with an injury that cost him multiple weeks, and now just made the first start of his NFL career. He played well overall, and hopefully it’s a sign of things to come for the former University of Georgia star.