Kyle Goon: Ravens GM Eric DeCosta still has to tackle his toughest task — replacing Tyler Linderbaum

There is quite literally only one player who touches the ball on every single offensive snap.

With the NFL draft finished and a good chunk of free agency settled, the Ravens still don’t know who that player will be.

The best player who left Baltimore this offseason was center Tyler Linderbaum, and the Ravens have had about a month and a half to settle on a successor. But you’d be hard-pressed to say they have addressed their biggest positional need.

They didn’t draft a center. The center they added in free agency, Danny Pinter, is a career backup who has started 10 games across six years.

It would be incredible to see Gwynn Park product Corey Bullock ascend to a starting role after beginning his career as an undrafted free agent — but it sounds like no one in the Ravens brass is sold on that underdog story yet.

So what will the Ravens do to replace Linderbaum at the position that helps direct blocking assignments and handles the critical job of making sure Lamar Jackson gets the ball cleanly?

“I do think we’ll have a plan at the position,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “I feel confident in saying that.”

What does that plan look like? From the outside, it’s hard to tell.

You could convincingly argue the Ravens’ draft was going according to plan two picks in. Although there were other options available, they got the best guard in the draft. Then in Round 2 they seized on Zion Young, who has physical tools and a ton of attitude.

But, in terms of addressing their biggest need, things started to go wrong at pick No. 57, when the Chicago Bears took Logan Jones from Iowa.

Jones could have been a plug-and-play successor to Linderbaum after replacing him for the Hawkeyes in college. Small but athletic, Jones was one of two center prospects the Ravens really liked.

Here’s your problem: Pro Football Focus ranked Jones as the No. 95 guy. ESPN’s Mel Kiper had him at No. 69. The run on centers started earlier than most, including the Ravens, had anticipated.

Florida’s Jake Slaughter was the other center prospect the front office liked, DeCosta acknowledged, but with pick No. 80, the Ravens would have had to trade up to get in position to be sure they could take him — and there’s little the Ravens hate more than giving away draft capital.

“We really assessed it and, where we were picking at 80, for us to do that would have cost our second-round pick, our third-round pick and our fourth-round pick, points-wise to do that,” he said. “Would I rather have Ja’Kobi [Lane], [Elijah] Sarratt and [Matt] Hibner? I probably would [rather] than one player at that point.”

So the Ravens stayed put, and their West Coast doppelgängers, the Chargers, took Slaughter at 63 — well above where PFF (90) or ESPN (83) had him rated.

If everything had broken the Ravens’ way, they could have had a shot at both in the third round. Instead, neither was available, and clearly they weren’t enamored of the center prospects left on the board because they took two receivers and two tight ends in the next three rounds.

It’s the draft, and quirky things happen. I don’t think DeCosta should face scrutiny because he couldn’t draft one of his preferred centers — not taking one is probably better than reaching for one you don’t believe can contribute.

“They’re good players,” he said, “but there’s nobody that’s going to necessarily be an impact player for us this year.”

But DeCosta can be held accountable if he doesn’t figure out the backup plan.

The Ravens have convincingly upgraded at guard with Vega Ioane and John Simpson, and with Emery Jones Jr. getting healthy, the talent is probably improved at the position. Conceivably, one of those players could convert to center if the Ravens are indeed set on trying to play their “best five guys” on the offensive line, as coach Jesse Minter suggested.

The only issue is the team itself has pushed back on the idea of switching any of the guards to center. With Jones, Ioane and Simpson, DeCosta said, the Ravens will have a “great sixth man,” implying that one of those guards — all of whom have more upside than Bullock or Pinter — will be riding the bench.

Given how the line group looks now, that answer is not going to cut it come September.

DeCosta’s one saving grace is it is not yet September. Between now and then, the Ravens could sign free agents (who don’t count against their compensatory picks) or even swing a trade for a bona fide starting center.

DeCosta saying the team would have a plan by fall implies he knows a plan is necessary. The status quo isn’t helping anyone sleep at night, possibly Jackson least of all.

He’s far from out of moves, but the most obvious times to make a big swing have passed. It’s somewhat ironic that, when DeCosta should feel as if his biggest moves are finished, he has left himself his most challenging task: replacing Linderbaum.

“I like the depth that we have right now,” he said. “We still have some moves to make. I think we’re in a much better place than we have been, and I’m excited to see what happens.”

For the Baltimore faithful, “excited” might be the wrong word.

When it comes to the person who touches the football more than any other player, “anxiety” is the term that comes to mind.