It didn't take long for the Ravens to place their faith in rookie No. 6 pick Ronnie Stanley.
With release of veteran left tackle Eugene Monroe Wednesday, Stanley is now in line to start on the blind side from the very beginning.
That fact wasn't lost on Stanley after hearing the news of Monroe's release.
"I was talking to some people saying this is probably the first time ever that I've felt this kind of pressure. I've never really felt pressure like that before," Stanley said.
"It's something I know that I can handle and it's just part of the transition to the NFL. It's a production business and that's the way it's always going to be."
Stanley has handled pressure before. He was one of the top offensive tackle recruits coming out of prestigious Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. He was a four-year starter at Notre Dame.
Now pressure is part of being the No. 6-overall pick. When the Ravens used their highest draft pick in a decade on Stanley, they did it expecting immediate results. Head Coach John Harbaugh said last week that he expects Stanley to win the starting job.
The Ravens have thrown their first-round rookie offensive linemen into the mix immediately before, though never at left tackle to start a season. In 1996, Jonathan Ogden started all 16 games at left guard. In 2007, Ben Grubbs started 12 games at left guard. In 2009, Michael Oher started 16 games (11 at right tackle and five at left tackle).
"You've just got to be mentally strong," Stanley said. "You've got to think clearly, stay in the moment, don't try to think that far ahead. You've just got to go out with a positive mindset every day that you want to get better."
Stanley has plenty of veteran offensive linemen to help, including Marshal Yanda, Jeremy Zuttah and more. Immediately to Stanley's right is resident genius John Urschel, who has been working with Stanley to get all the calls and checks down.
Stanley also said that Monroe helped him before his release, including while Monroe was working out at the Under Armour Performance Center.
"It feels good in the sense that this organization has put its faith in me, but Eugene has been nothing but a great resource and great mentor for me, and you never like to see a guy lose a job," Stanley said.
Stanley has taken every snap he can possibly get with the first-team offense this summer, and he's impressed those around him. While pass rushers Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil aren't on the field to test the rookie, Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees has thrown a lot of pressure Stanley's way.
"Ronnie has come in here and picked things up," Offensive Coordinator Marc Trestman said. "He's shown that he certainly has football intelligence to learn quickly, he doesn't make very many mistakes, he's extremely coachable, and his athleticism is showing on the field."
Trestman said Stanley's task is to continue to improve and "get accustomed to the chaos of the National Football League."
