Ravens 7th round draft pick Evan Beernsten will turn 26 in September

TL;DR

Evan Beernsten, the Ravens' 7th round draft pick, will turn 26 in September. He brings significant experience from South Dakota State, where he won two national championships.

Key points

Evan Beernsten is the Ravens' 7th round draft pick.
He will turn 26 years old in September.
Beernsten played six years at South Dakota State.
He won two FCS national championships.
The Ravens are overhauling their offensive line.

Evan BeernstenSouth Dakota StateBaltimore Ravens

Typically, a seventh round pick doesn't have the greatest odds of making the two deep and seeing a lot of playing time. Evan Beernsten, an offensive guard selected out of Northwestern by the Baltimore Ravens with the 253rd pick, is quite a different story. The 11th and final selection made by the Ravens in this draft, he's in the position group that is this team's most pressing need. The Ravens have been very busy this season, in both free agency and the draft, overhauling the interior of the offensive line.

The center position will be a wide open competition during training camp, and while Beernsten isn't expected to compete for a starting role, but he may surprise you in terms of what his role could ultimately be. His ability to slide over to center, from right guard, will serve him well.

Also, he's seasoned.

He's so seasoned, you could just nickname him Lawry's (or, better yet, Old Bay to keep it local), as he'll turn 26 this September. Yes, the Ravens might have a 26-year-old rookie on their roster this season. The Appleton, WI native spent six years at FCS level South Dakota State, where he won two FCS national championships and earned All-Missouri Valley Conference plaudits twice. In other words, Beernsten is very accomplished, on both a collective and individual level.

When he transferred to Evanston, he enrolled at Northwestern as a graduate student, and garnered All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors this past season. 2025 was his lone season with the Wildcats, and it saw him earn a 80.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, which was good for 11th nationally among offensive guards, fourth best in the Big Ten.

His position group mate, offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan, went in the third round to the Minnesota Vikings, and with it, the duo marked the 188th and 189th NFL Draft picks in NU history. Beernsten allowed no sacks or quarterback hits this past season, as he started all 13 games for the Wildcats.

Q&A

What is Evan Beernsten's age and background?

Evan Beernsten will turn 26 in September and has a background playing at South Dakota State, where he won two FCS national championships.

How does Evan Beernsten fit into the Ravens' offensive line?

Beernsten, selected with the 253rd pick, is expected to provide depth in a position group that the Ravens are actively overhauling, particularly at center and right guard.

What are the Ravens' plans for their center position during training camp?

The Ravens plan to have an open competition for the center position during training camp, which Beernsten may participate in despite not being expected to start.