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The Baltimore Ravens already have one of the best pass rush units in the entire league, tied for the fifth most sacks with 39 through 13 games according to Pro Football Reference.
Per a report from NFL Insider Jordan Schultz on December 16, their potent pressure corps is going to be getting an injection of new blood when they face the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 as rookie outside linebacker David Ojabo is slated to make his NFL debut.
The Ravens selected Ojabo with the 45th overall pick in the second round in this year’s NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan. He was projected to be a top-15 pick in the first round but fell out of it entirely after suffering a torn Achilles at his Pro Day in March.
He opened the year on the reserve/non-football injury list, was activated to the 53-man roster on November 1, 2022, and has been practicing ever since. Due to his lengthy recovery, he wasn’t able to participate in the training camp or preseason outside of attending meetings and he missed the first 13 games.
Impact on Ravens Roster & Rotation on the Edge
The Ravens have gotten great contributions from their outside linebackers and interior defensive line all season when it comes to stopping the run and rushing the passer. That begs the question, ‘Whose snaps get cut and whose role gets reduced?’ in order to get Ojabo on the field since they’re so deep on the edge in particular.
Veteran Justin Houston is having a resurgent season and leads the team in sacks with nine in 10 games. Two-time SuperBowl champion Jason Pierre-Paul is tied with second-year pro Odafe Oweh and last year’s sack leader, Tyus Bowser, for the second most sacks at the position group with two a piece.
All three players are great edge-setters against the run so their early down snaps likely won’t get impacted but it could mean fewer opportunities to rush the passer on third downs and in obvious passing situations. Oweh has already been playing fewer snaps as of late, having not played more than 40 % of the team’s total defensive snaps in a game since the team returned from their bye in Week 11 according to Pro Football Reference.
Ojabo might cut into the snaps of his old Blair Academy prep teammate even more down the stretch and into the playoffs barring injury as he will likely be deployed as a situational pass rusher as a rookie this year. He enjoyed his best collegiate season under the Ravens’ first-year defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald last year with 11 sacks in 13 games with the Wolverines in 2021.
Ravens Elevate Undrafted Rookie From Practice Squad
While Ojabo is reportedly going to be seeing his first NFL action against the Browns, another first-year pro that the team already announced will be suiting up is quarterback Anthony Brown. He dressed and appeared in a regular season game for the first time in Week 14 and played a key role in helping the team beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-14.
He entered the game in the third quarter after primary backup, Tyler Huntley, who was already filling in for an injured Lamar Jackson left with a concussion diagnosis. Brown with 3-of-5 for 16 yards and managed a pair of time-consuming drives that helped win the game.
Head coach John Harbaugh said that he “heroically” stepped up with his clutch play when called upon last week. With Jackson having been ruled out for a second straight game and Huntley slated to make his sixth career start and second in a row, Brown will serve as his backup against the Browns. It will be interesting to see if fourth-round tight end Charlie Kolar who opened the year in injured reserve and, like Ojabo, has been practicing for over a month as well.
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