The Baltimore Ravens drafted OLB David Ojabo within the second spherical in 2022, a bet that’s not paying off. Coming into the ultimate yr of his rookie contract, one beat author speculates he could not even make the workforce. And looking out on the building of the roster, it definitely seems to be a definite risk.
Ojabo, a possible first-round decide at one level, tore his Achilles throughout his Professional Day. On the time, the Ravens felt as if they’d a sufficiently loaded roster that they might roll the cube. Nevertheless, he has not lived as much as the promise they noticed in him. He has performed 379 snaps over the previous three seasons, amounting to 4 sacks.
Longtime Ravens beat author Jeff Zrebiec wrote for The Athletic that Ojabo is the largest title who’s on the bubble. Noting that they understood his damage scenario, he wrote, “In addition they knew he was a uncooked prospect who would wish to develop. Ojabo is operating out of time. He has 4 sacks and eight quarterback hits in components of three seasons. He’s missed lots of sport and apply time with accidents, and he’s but to carve out an everyday function within the outdoors linebacker rotation”.
The yr earlier than the Ravens drafted David Ojabo, they took Odafe Oweh within the first spherical. Although it took time for him to develop, he appeared to succeed in that time final season. In 2024, he posted 10 sacks. He additionally has 25 profession tackles for loss and 7 pressured fumbles. Along with Oweh, in addition they have Kyle Van Noy, who had a profession yr final season and made the Professional Bowl.
“Starters Kyle Van Noy and Oweh, who each had double-digit sacks final yr, are returning, and so is Tavius Robinson, a younger function participant the teaching workers loves”, Zrebiec writes of Ojabo’s street forward. “The Ravens added to their edge rusher combine by drafting Mike Inexperienced within the second spherical. In addition they wish to see extra of 2024 third-round decide Adisa Isaac, whose rookie season was marred by accidents”.
In case you battle to depend, that’s 5 Ravens gamers Zrebiec named with out David Ojabo. They don’t seem to be going to maintain six outdoors linebackers, and Ojabo has just about no special-teams expertise. He has struggled to remain wholesome, and people accidents begin to add up.
However the Ravens will definitely give Ojabo a possibility to compete for a roster spot—there’s no incentive to not. Whereas Van Noy, Oweh, and Mike Inexperienced are locks, he may not less than compete with Robinson and Isaac.
A 2023 fourth-round decide, Robinson performed 486 snaps final season, recording 3.5 sacks with 12 hits. They drafted Isaac final yr within the third spherical, however he solely performed 32 snaps, recording 4 tackles. Isaac didn’t play a lot on particular groups, however Robinson logged 286 snaps there. If David Ojabo desires to maintain his job, he’ll want to remain wholesome and carve out a task in that part.
