Meet Ben Powers, the Broncos’ newly-signed left guard who has zero interest in social media and spends his free time playing Overwatch on his Xbox.
Reserved as Powers may be, he is hard to miss. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, Powers transformed into a productive guard for the Baltimore Ravens. And after the Broncos watched their offensive line struggle through injuries and ineffective play, Denver made Powers a primary target in free agency, signing him to a four-year, $52 million deal with $28.5 million guaranteed.
“He certainly was a target, and then he comes from a place that’s used to winning,” first-year head coach Sean Payton said. “That room has had probably the biggest turnover of any, and I think that’ll serve us well.”
Powers said free agency was a whirlwind. From when Baltimore lost in the playoffs to signing the dotted line in March, the Wichita, Kansas, native said there were days of uncertainty, plotting and thinking about what’s next for his career.
One thing was certain: Powers’ price tag was too high for him to stay with the Ravens, a fact he rather bluntly pointed out when asked why he didn’t return to Baltimore.
“I don’t think (the Ravens) could afford me,” Powers said, later mentioning that his four years in Baltimore shaped him into the person he is today.
The value Payton places on offensive linemen, especially guards, led Powers to Denver. During the pre-draft process, Payton alluded to his admiration for linemen, saying his mentor and Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells felt the offensive line was one of the most important positions on the roster because it permeated throughout the building.
“That obviously influenced my decision,” Powers said.
Payton said Powers has everything a coach looks for in an offensive lineman. He praised Powers’ skill-set, strength and love for football.
“He can anchor, and that’s important,” Payton said. “We had a couple of really good guards throughout the years with (former Saints QB) Drew (Brees).”
Powers’ path to becoming the 10th-highest-paid guard in the league, according to Spotrac, required patience.
An unranked recruit coming out of high school, his best college offer was from Pittsburg State, an NCAA Division II school in Pittsburg, Kansas. Powers instead opted to attend Butler Community College, where he developed into one of the best JUCO guards in the nation before transferring to Oklahoma after one season.
Powers spent three years with the Sooners, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2018. His NFL dreams came to fruition when the Ravens drafted him in the fourth round in 2019, but things were not easy at first. Powers recalled stewing over a perceived lack of snaps. He played in just one game as a rookie before appearing in 16 (seven starts) during his second season.
“Back then, I would tell you how mad I am (about) not getting an opportunity,” Powers said. “But it worked out exactly as it was supposed to. I’m happy (about) how (things) ended up.”
Powers started in all 17 games for the Ravens in 2022, allowing only a sack and 13 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. While playing in Baltimore’s run-heavy offense, Powers understood the “grit” it takes to establish a strong ground game.
“I had a tremendous time in Baltimore,” he said. “I plan to use those (years) as stepping stones to become an even better football player.”
Even though Powers is with a new team in a different city, he still thinks about the Ravens’ 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round.
“(The memory) would come out of the blue,” Powers said.
In one of the most agonizing defeats of the Ravens’ season, Powers remembered the offense crowding the goal line with the game tied at 17 in the fourth quarter. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley fumbled the ball while trying to reach the end zone, causing a loud uproar.
“I’m like ‘what the hell happened? Did we score?’” Powers recalled.
When Powers got up from the ground, he turned around and saw Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard running to the end zone for the go-ahead score.
“It was an unfortunate situation,” Powers said.
Powers’ last memory as a Raven was not pretty. But it followed several successful seasons between his time in Baltimore and Oklahoma. The one common denominator? He has been fortunate to play alongside talented quarterbacks throughout his journey.
“It’s been unreal,” said Powers, who played with two Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray at Oklahoma before teaming up with Lamar Jackson in Baltimore and now Russell Wilson, whom he called a tremendous leader.
“I understand that’s very rare,” he continued. “I don’t take it for granted.”
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