The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft concluded late on Thursday, April 23. Former Penn State football guard Olaivavega Ioane heard his name called at No. 14 after the Baltimore Ravens selected him just before the halfway mark of the round.
Olaivavega Ioane deemed 'steal of the draft' as Penn State star is off to Baltimore
His scouting report, talent, and athleticism were obviously critical in earning him him a first round grade, but NFL teams don't just look at film, numbers, and prototype when it comes to draft night. In addition to hitting those marks, all 32 clubs also do a deep dive into who players are as people.
A video resurfaced of the former Nittany Lion guard going out of his way to help a Penn State equipment manager. A Ravens reporter confirmed that deeds, such as the one in the video, matter when it comes to assessing players.
Giana Han of The Baltimore Banner reposted the video, writing, "[Ravens head coach] Eric DeCosta said this video is 'very cool' and things like this always help in their evaluation."
Eric DeCosta said this video is “very cool” and things like this always help in their evaluation. https://t.co/0J9ZfT2ji4
— Giana Han (@giana_jade) April 24, 2026
NFL teams do their due diligence when it comes to evaluating players.
As said before, film and testing only takes someone so far in the process. Just like any other job, NFL draft prospects get a background check, or a Red Flag Report, run on them. While going through their personal history, legal reports aren't the only things that get noted. Things players say in media or are recorded doing, for instance, are jotted down in their report if they can be deemed as a "red flag."
These Red Flag Reports can hurt a player's chances at being drafted, whether that means at all or if they drop down from where they initially were projected based on talent alone. On the flip side, teams see the green flags as well, even if those aren't necesssarily noted in a report.
It's important that teams know the kind of person they're bringing into their facility, good or bad. Red flags are a cause for concern whereas green flags can boost a players' likelihood at getting drafted. This becomes especially important when it comes to later rounds, helping differentiate personalities that could cause trouble versus those that align with the club's values.
In Ioane's case, being a first round pick, it's just more proof that Baltimore made the right choice.
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