Could David Ojabo Be Ravens' Next Late Bloomer?

There are several prime examples of players in his situation who made the most of their fourth season with the team and broke out in a big way. During the Ravens' last Super Bowl run in 2012, Paul Kruger, who was a second-round pick in 2009, recorded nine sacks in the regular season after only having six in his first three seasons. He continued to stay hot in the playoffs as a situational pass rusher by leading the team with 4.5 sacks.

In 2014, Pernell McPhee, who was a fifth-round pick in 2011 and flashed as a rookie with six sacks, recorded a career-high 7.5 sacks in 2014 as the third rusher alongside multi-time Pro Bowler Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, who each recorded double-digits that year.

The player the Ravens drafted in the fourth round to replace him the following offseason was Za'Darius Smith. He also flashed as a rookie with 5.5 sacks but didn't come close to double-digits until his fourth year when he led the team with a then-career-high 8.5, which was 1.5 more than both Suggs and fellow Pro Bowler Matt Judon, who tied for second with seven apiece.

Mostly recently, 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh doubled his previous career-high in sacks and reached double figures for the first time with 10 to finish second on the team last season. Fortunately for the Ravens, they picked up his fifth-year option before he finally broke out and will have him to make at least one more run at a title.

All three of the aforementioned players before Oweh were able to parlay their breakout fourth seasons into big deals with new teams in the ensuing offseason in free agency and he will likely do the same next March if he isn't extended or re-signed before the start of the 2026 new league year.

If Ojabo could find a way to put it all together in 2025, he could join his former high school teammate at Blair Academy as one of the most sought-after free agent pass rushers next March. While some pundits believe that he is more likely to get cut or traded before the start of the regular season than he is to break out, there is still a chance he finally realizes his immense potential and emerges in a similar situational role as some of the late bloomers at the position who came before him.