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The Baltimore Ravens roster is full of difference-makers who can make a huge impact on the 2023 NFL season. From Lamar Jackson to Odell Beckham Jr. to Roquan Smith, Ravens training camp is filled with stars. However, there is one player who could make or break this season for the team who you might not expect. And that player is outside linebacker David Ojabo.
David Ojabo is the surprising player on the Ravens roster who could make or break the 2023 NFL season
For the first time, maybe in franchise history, the Ravens offense is getting more press than the vaunted Ravens defense. Lamar Jackson and company are one of the best and most intriguing units in the league, and the team will likely go as far as the team’s quarterback and his weapons take it.
That said, it’s still the Ravens, and the defense is crucial.
The unit of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Tony Sirigusa, Haloti Ngata, and Terrell Suggs no longer has the headline names it once did. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith is a well-known name, but Justin Madubuike, Patrick Queen, and Kyle Hamilton aren’t the famous faces Baltimore fans are used to on that side of the ball.
Despite not having the Q rating that it’s had in the past, the Ravens D is still an excellent unit. Even after losing longtime defensive coordinator Wink Martindale to the New York Giants, the Baltimore defense still finished third in the league last season under new DC Mike Macdonald.
In 2022, the team finished eighth in turnovers (25), third in rushing yards allowed (1,566), and T-5 in sacks (48). However, the Ravens were 26th in passing yards allowed (3,947).
And while the sack numbers were good, the team lost its best pass rusher this offseason, Justin Houston, who added 9.5 sacks last season, and Calais Campbell, who added another 5.0 sacks. Losing 14 sacks would have put the Ravens at T-27 last season.
The two players who played most last season and could replace Houston’s production are Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh. These two had 2.0 and 3.0 sacks, respectively last season.
Bowser started last season on the PUP list, coming off an Achilles tendon tear during his 7.0 sack season in 2021. Oweh was a 2021 first-round pick who had 5.0 sacks in his rookie season but couldn’t keep up that pace in Year 2.
Despite the question marks at edge rusher, Baltimore didn’t address this weak spot on the Ravens roster until the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, picking OLB project Tavius Robinson from Ole Miss.
Why did the Ravens wait so long? Because the team has a de facto first-round pick coming in this season with David Ojabo.
Ojabo burst onto the scene in 2021 with 11.0 sacks in his second season at Michigan. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound pass rusher was set to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft before tearing his Achilles at his Michigan Pro Day.
That led to the OLB slipping to pick No. 45 in the second round, and the Ravens scooped him up, planning to give him a redshirt season in 2022. However, Ojabo worked his way back and played in two games last season. He played one snap in Week 14 to make his NFL debut, and then in Week 17, he played 20 snaps and sacked Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow.
Now, Ojabo has a full Ravens training camp to get acclimated to the NFL, and he could win the starting OLB job over Bowser. The former Wolverine's chances are getting of to a good start, as Bowser is currently on the non-football injury list while recovering from an offseason knee injury.
The most interesting thing about that is it would reunite him with his high school (Blair Academy in New Jersey) teammate, Oweh, on opposite sides of the defensive line.
To win this season, the Ravens D must continue their strength against the run and get better against the pass. That means getting more consistent pressure (not just sacks) than they did last year. Ojabo is a superior athlete, and his speed and strength will be huge for Baltimore on D if he’s back to full strength.
If nothing else, the Ravens roster on defense is younger than in recent years, with Oweh, Ojabo, and players like safety Kyle Hamilton all potential starters. That is good news for the team’s future, but also could be big for the 2023 NFL season. If these players — especially David Ojabo — can take the next step and become playmakers, the 2023 Ravens defense can add its name to the history books alongside the other great Baltimore units of seasons past.
