Ravens Rookie Drawing Pro Bowl Comparison

For the entirety of his impressive career in the NFL that was suddenly and tragically shortened by the reveal of a rare birth defect, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr got to play behind and eventually alongside five-time Pro Bowler and All Pro inside linebacker C.J. Mosley.

The two of them came into the league the same year in 2014, with Mosley being the Ravens' first overall pick out of Alabama and Orr signing as an undrafted free agent out of North Texas. After grinding on special teams for his first two years in the NFL, Orr joined Mosley in the starting lineup in his third, and ultimately final, season and formed arguably the best off-ball linebacker tandem in the league.

What made Mosley, who retired from the NFL this offseason, such a special player beyond his God-given physical abilities was certain intangibles that were evident right when he arrived and are rare to find in such young players. His maturity, leadership and work ethic were beyond his years entering the league.

"C.J. came in, and you didn't think he was a rookie by the way he prepared and by the way he worked," Orr said Thursday. "He got thrown into the fire early in the spring and in camp, practicing with the 'ones' and did a heck of a job."

The second-year player caller sees a similar intense and intentional focus and other veteran-like qualities from the Ravens' first-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, rookie safety Malaki Starks. As was the case a dozen years ago with Mosley when he was brought in, Starks is slated to start from Day 1 and can't afford to be a liability in one of the most loaded defensive units in the league.