Ravens Could Move on From Young Pass Rusher

Three years into his career, Baltimore Ravens linebacker David Ojabo may tragically end up being one of the biggest "what ifs" in today's NFL.

Coming out of Michigan in 2022, Ojabo was a potential first-round pick after posting 11 sacks in his final season and helping the Wolverines reach the College Football Playoff. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles at the NFL Scouting Combine, putting a major dent in his draft stock.

Still, the Ravens took a chance on the Nigerian-born pass rusher in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, fully aware that he would miss the majority of his rookie season recovering from injury. What they didn't know was that he would also miss most of the 2023 season after suffering a knee injury in Week 3.

Even then, there was some hope that Ojabo could come back strong in 2024, and a sack in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs looked like a good omen. However, he only had one more sack the rest of the season, and was a healthy scratch on multiple occasions.

With Ojabo's long-term outlook being as bleak as ever right now, there's a chance he may have played his final game in Baltimore. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic noted how the cap-strapped Ravens could look to waive or trade Ojabo to free up some money.

"Ojabo, a second-round pick in 2022, has battled injuries and just hasn’t gained any traction during his career," Zrebiec wrote. "If he’s still with the team come July, he might very well start training camp on the roster bubble, depending on who the Ravens add at outside linebacker this offseason. Still, it probably makes sense for Baltimore to give the 24-year-old an extended look in the preseason to see if Ojabo’s figured anything out."

"He wouldn’t be the first young Ravens pass rusher to break out in a contract year. Still, they are up against it and every bit of cap space counts. Jettisoning Ojabo would trigger $1.8 million in savings."

The Ravens wouldn't save too much money by getting rid of Ojabo, but as Zrebiec noted, every little bit of cap space helps.

Besides, if Ojabo's mostly going to be on the sideline - he only played 33 percent of possible defensive snaps this season - then that money is probably better spent elsewhere.