The Baltimore Ravens finished the season with a league-high 60 sacks in 2023. One major component to the success of the Ravens’ pass rush last season was veteran outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney finished with 9.5 sacks, the second most on the team behind defensive tackle Justin Madubuike.
With Clowney’s departure to sign with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, Baltimore will need several players to step up this season to fill the hole on the edge. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr was asked who could make up for the production in Clowney’s absence.
“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 David Ojabo, and we’ve got Kyle Van Noy back, which helps out. ‘Daf’ [Odafe Oweh] – we expect him to have a big year. ‘T-Rob’ [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. You mentioned Travis Jones earlier. [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.”
The Ravens did not make any significant moves at the outside linebacker position after losing Clowney; instead, they relied on the young talent on the roster. A veteran signing closer to the start of the season would not be a surprise, though, as the Ravens did the same thing last year with Clowney and Kyle Van Noy.
