Panthers urged to keep tabs on Ravens defender as training camp looms

Doesn’t it seem like every time there’s an experienced pass rusher either still available on the open market or looming as a trade possibility that the Carolina Panthers should be kicking the tires on that performer?

Here’s yet another example. When asked recently whether the team he covered could have a player “on the bubble or trade block later this summer,” Baltimore Ravens’ writer Jeff Zrebiec for The Athletic referenced a three-year defender who’s played in a total of 21 games (including playoffs) in three seasons.

“When the Ravens used a second-round pick on David Ojabo in 2022,” explained Zrebiec, “they understood that the edge rusher would miss a chunk of his rookie season after he tore his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day. They also knew he was a raw prospect who would need to develop. Ojabo is running out of time. He has four sacks and eight quarterback hits in parts of three seasons. He’s missed a lot of game and practice time with injuries, and he’s yet to carve out a regular role in the outside linebacker rotation.”

Ojabo played in a career-high 13 regular-season games in 2024, finishing with nine tackles and a pair of sacks. He also appeared in both of Baltimore’s playoff contests this past season. “Starters Kyle Van Noy and (Odafe) Oweh,’ added Zrebiec, “who both had double-digit sacks last year, are returning, and so is Tavius Robinson, a young role player the coaching staff loves.