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Pundits expect Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane to go off the board in the first half of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft had no shortage of drama for the Baltimore Ravens, and most of it played out before they even made their first pick. General manager Eric DeCosta had a plan at No. 14, and for a moment, it almost went a very different way.

According to Michael Silver of The Athletic, as the pick approached, DeCosta had his eye on a cluster of players that included offensive linemen Spencer Fano, Francis Mauigoa, and Vega Ioane, wide receivers Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson, and tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

What nobody saw coming was Rueben Bain Jr. still being on the board. The Miami edge rusher was expected to go well before 14, but there he was, sitting right alongside Ioane and Sadiq when Baltimore got on the clock.

With three players he genuinely wanted all available at once, DeCosta saw an opening to move back and still land one of them, while picking up extra picks in the process.

The Trade at Pick 14 That Almost Changed Everything for Baltimore

With options to spare, DeCosta looked to move back. Silver reported he had a deal worked out with an unnamed team that would keep the Ravens picking in the teens while adding extra fourth-round picks in each of the next two drafts. Then the clock started.

“We had something on the table, but inexplicably they told us they’d changed their mind,” DeCosta told Silver. “They changed the deal and made another offer that wasn’t as good, and we passed.”

Baltimore stayed at 14 with a real decision to make. DeCosta now had to pick one player from a board he had been hoping to trade out of, which is never a comfortable spot for a general manager to be in.

Why the Ravens Chose Vega Ioane Over a Prospect Compared to Terrell Suggs

Bain was not just any player on that board. The former Miami edge rusher had been compared to Ravens legend Terrell Suggs by multiple draft analysts, a name Baltimore fans know well. Suggs finished his career with 139 sacks and is still waiting on his Hall of Fame call. Passing on a prospect drawing that kind of comparison was not a small thing.

But the offensive line need was hard to ignore. Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum had left for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency, and Lamar Jackson was sacked 36 times last season. DeCosta also had his coaching staff pushing hard in one direction.

“Jesse had a really strong opinion about wanting Ioane,” DeCosta told Silver. “That really resonated with me.”

Bain went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one pick later at No. 15. DeCosta acknowledged it was not an easy call. He admitted Bain would have been a great fit in Baltimore, but said the decision came down to finding a guy who checked every box, on and off the field. For him, Ioane was that player.

Ioane did not take long to make his own statement after being selected.

“Nobody is going to touch my quarterback. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

The trade that fell apart at the last second ended up steering Baltimore exactly where DeCosta and Minter wanted to go. Ioane is a Raven, and the pick that almost never happened may end up being one of the best Baltimore has made in years.