The Baltimore Ravens have the makings of what could be a very good defense in 2023. A few veterans from last season moved on or are still available in free agency, which will open up playing time for younger players to try and make their mark in the league.
One of the players who is raring to go is pass rusher David Ojabo. Ojabo looked like a lock to be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after a productive career with the Michigan Wolverines collegiately. However, those projections were derailed when he suffered a torn Achilles during the pre-draft process.
That led to Ojabo falling into the second round, where the Ravens scooped him up with the No. 45 overall pick. He was able to play in the last two regular season games and the playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals but is ready to put that behind him. His return landed him on some ballots to win Comeback Player of the Year in 2022.
Ojabo is now 100 percent focused on the 2023 season that lies ahead. He knows that the defensive unit has a ton of potential and issued a stern warning to his teammates. The time for talk is over; now they have to show what they can do on the field.
“We all feed off each other. . . . You just feel it when everybody’s clicking,” Ojabo said. “I feel that’s what we have in the locker room now. We just gotta put it on paper. Can’t talk too much, that’s how people get caught up. Don’t talk about it, man. When the pads come on, when the lights come on, when it’s showtime, go put on a show.”
The Ravens have overhauled their defensive front this offseason, going with a youth movement. Calais Campbell, Justin Houston and Jason Pierre-Paul are no longer with the team, which puts some pressure on Ojabo to perform in 2023.
He will be relied upon for a bigger role and is ready to showcase why he was such a highly regarded prospect before the Achilles injury. He isn’t the only young player that the spotlight will be on as 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh will likely be his bookend coming off the edge.
More must-reads: