Ravens Release Massive Rookie Defensive Lineman

Jones stands at a massive 6-foot-6, 335 pounds and put his size on display while plugging up run lanes and recording seven tackles this preseason. However, it was not enough to make Baltimore's 53-man roster.

Jones started his collegiate career at Oregon, where he had 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2021. He then transferred to Auburn, posting 63 tackles and one pass defensed over the next three seasons.

Meanwhile, Jones' release bodes very well for defensive lineman C.J. Okoye, a former undrafted free agent in 2023.

The 6-foot-6, 370-pound defensive tackle has also impressed this preseason while racking up five tackles and one quarterback hit.

Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr also couldn't help but praise Okoye's play.

“It’s amazing to see how far he’s come since when we got him in the springtime,” Orr said. “He works hard. He played real good in the game. He’s big. I was looking at him and I was like, ‘Damn, you’re a monster.’ And he went out there and played like it. It’s a credit to him. He’s put the work in.”

Okoye's path to the NFL was untraditional. He grew up in Agbogugu, Nigeria, where he primarily played basketball. After playing at a high level, he was noticed and suggested to enter the UpRise American football camp, hosted by Osi Umenyiora to identify talent from African countries.

He attended and Umenyiora thought he performed well enough to give him a shot at the 2022 NFL Africa camp. There he was first trained to play offensive line, named the most valuable offensive player and became one of 38 players to be invited to the NFL International Combine in London, England.

Okoye ultimately made the cut and was selected as one of 13 players for the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program. He was allocated to the Los Angeles Chargers as a defensive lineman in 2023.

Okoye recorded a sack in his first preseason game with the Chargers but was later waived by the team. He re-signed to Los Angeles' practice squad, where he would spend the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

In January, Okoye got a change of scenery, signing a reserve/future contract with the Ravens, who he now hopes to continue making a name for himself with in 2025.