The Ravens have added some depth to the offensive line.
Baltimore selected offensive guard Robert Myers from Tennessee State with the fifth-round compensatory pick, No. 176 overall.
Myers, 6-foot-5, 326 pounds, comes from a small-school program but has prototypical size for the NFL game. He will compete for a spot to provide depth behind starting guard Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele.
Myers' nickname is "Snacks," and he fits the mold of a late-round prospect that Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo loves. He's a big player who flew under the radar as a small-school prospect, but that size gives him potential that Castillo could work to develop.
Castillo had a chance to get to know Myers in a private workout during the pre-draft process, and the pair hit it off.
"Juan is a great coach," Myers said. "When he came into TSU to work me out, it was very positive. He just showed a lot of interest in me during that time. He just explained that he was very interested in me playing."
Castillo is the product of a small-school system himself – his coaching career started at Texas A&M-Kingsville – and he's had an affinity for working with players who come up through those ranks. Myers believes his new coach will help him make the jump to the professional game.
"He knew the road for a small-school player to get to a big-time level," Myers said. "I know it's not going to be easy, but with a coach like Juan, and an organization like the Baltimore Ravens, I think it's going to go pretty smoothly."
The Ravens knew that Castillo was high on Myers from the time he returned from that private workout.
"I think Juan likes to work with tough guys who are hard-working guys. That's what he came back and told us," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He really likes the upside. He thinks he really has a chance to develop into a starting offensive lineman in this league. That's always the goal when you draft somebody."
Baltimore has hopes that Myers could eventually even develop into a starter as a middle-round pick, like right tackle Rick Wagner (fifth round).
"We've had some success doing that the last couple years – small school, big school – and we're pretty confident that this player has the chance to do the same thing," Harbaugh said.
Myers enters the NFL as a fifth-year senior who has been a starter the last three years. He primarily played right guard, and was a second-team All Ohio Valley Conference performer.
The Ravens already have two of the league's top guards in Yanda and Osemele, and Myers will compete for a backup job along with John Urschel, Ryan Jensen and Jah Reid.
"I'm in it for the long haul and I'm hoping to be a Raven for a very long time," Myers said.
