Baltimore Ravens Coach John Harbaugh strongly believes in third-year edge rusher David Ojabo.
“I think David is just gonna break out,” he said to reporters back in March.
Ojabo played his college ball at the University of Michigan under Harbaugh’s brother Jim.
Selected in the second round of the 2022 draft, the Ravens reunited the pass-rushing specialist with Mike Macdonald, his defensive coordinator at Michigan, in 2021.
Unfortunately, we’ll never know if MacDonald and Ojabo can replicate in Baltimore the success they had together in Ann Arbor.
After serving as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator for 2022-23, MacDonald is now the head man in Seattle.
Due to two serious injuries, Ojabo played in only five games in his first two seasons in the NFL.
The first major setback came in the spring of 2022 at the Michigan Wolverines Pro Day. Ojabo suffered an Achilles injury that was serious enough to cost him almost his entire rookie season.
Last term, he suffered a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament, which brought his second campaign to an end on September 30.
Obviously, his health is the number one factor determining his success or failure. He has the potential to become a star one day in this league.
The Ravens would not have looked past his Achilles injury and drafted him that high unless MacDonald and both Harbaughs truly believe Ojabo is the real deal.
They are not the only ones. ESPN rated him the fifth-best pass-rushing prospect in the class of 2022, with a SackSEER rating of 79.3%.
Not to mention that the Nigeria native (whom the league granted an international roster exemption in early May) was a measurable monster at the 2022 scouting combine. At 265 pounds, the second-team All-American outside linebacker ran a 4.55 in the 40-yard dash. He also posted a 35-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump.
In 2024, he will be expected to stay healthy and finally live up to that potential. The Ravens need their project pick from two years ago to provide the depth they need at the position.
