BALTIMORE — The Ravens are counting on fourth-year player David Ojabo to give their pass rush a boost this season.
However, they are still waiting for the 24-year-old outside linebacker to get back on the field.
Ojabo did not play in the first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday night because he has not been cleared by doctors after having knee surgery last year. Ravens coach John Harbaugh has high expectations for Ojabo and predicted that he will be a key contributor when he gets back on the field.
“I think David is just gonna break out,” Harbaugh said this offseason.
Ojabo had surgery in November to repair a partially torn ACL, which ended his season after three games. Shortly after that, Ojabo met with Harbaugh and they decided that the surgery gave him the best opportunity to be healthy for the 2024 season.
Ojabo, a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, also missed almost all of his rookie season, recovering from a torn Achilles.
In the limited time Ojabo has been on the field, he’s made an impact.
In his rookie year, Ohabo appeared in two games and had a forced fumble. Last season, he finished with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble before the surgery.
The Ravens hope Ojabo can take the next step in his development to fill the void at edge rusher. Now, he just needs to get back on the practice field as a full participant.
Jadeveon Clowney, who had 9 1/2 sacks last season, signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason as a free agent, and the Ravens will need someone to match his production.
New Ravens defensive coordinator Zachary Orr doesn’t necessarily believe the team needs one player to carry the load. He thinks the Ravens will be able to get sacks from their defensive linemen, inside linebacker, and their safeties.
Production from Ojabo would be a boost.
“I think the production can be made by a lot of those guys,” Orr said. “[There are] a lot of candidates in that room, specifically. Obviously, you’ve got Ojabo, and we’ve got Kyle Van Noy back, which helps out. [Odafe Oweh] – we expect him to have a big year. [Tavius Robinson], Malik Hamm … I mean, [there are] a lot of guys. But I don’t think the production just has to come from that room.
“[Justin] Madubuike, Michael Pierce, ‘Broddy’ [Broderick] Washington … That whole front, the [linebackers], blitzes … I think we can make that production up in a lot of different ways.”