Ravens trade away former 1st round pick

The Baltimore Ravens are making changes after their brutal start to the season, particularly on defense.

The Ravens traded linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Ravens received safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round pick, while also giving up a seventh-round pick in 2027.

Oweh was the Ravens’ first-round pick in 2021 and collected a career-high 10 sacks for the team last season. However, he is in the fifth and final season of his rookie contract, and the organization clearly did not or felt they could not re-sign him long-term. He only has 10 total tackles this season and has yet to get to an opposing quarterback.

The Chargers have been hit hard by injuries at the linebacker position this season. Junior Colson, Khalil Mack, and Denzel Perryman are all on injured reserve. If nothing else, Oweh gives them another experienced player they can throw onto the field as they try to survive the injury onslaught.

The Ravens are 1-4 on the season after an ugly loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, with their defense in particular not pulling its weight. They are trying to address that, but it does seem like the organization may already have one eye on next season.