The Baltimore Ravens are in their third and final week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) with mandatory minicamp set to kick off next week. Let’s dive into the highlights from Tuesday’s practice!
Young, Green flash pass-rushing chops
The Ravens wisely added veteran pass rushers in Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell this offseason, significantly raising the floor of a unit that posted the third-fewest sacks in the league last year. But if Baltimore’s pass rush is going to hit its ceiling, Mike Green and Zion Young will need to step
up and take advantage of the 1-on-1 opportunities created by the attention drawn by their more proven teammates.
Both recent second-round picks flashed on Tuesday afternoon. Green showcased his burst off the edge and hit a smooth cross-chop to get into the backfield on one rep. His high motor led to a combined pressure with C.J. Okoye on another play, and while Lamar Jackson was able to dash away, most opposing quarterbacks can’t.
Young, the No. 45 pick in April’s draft, showed why the Ravens had a first-round grade on him. Early in practice, he pushed Roger Rosengarten into the pocket with a bull rush and then disengaged to bat down a pass at the line of scrimmage. Those kind of power rushes are Young’s bread-and-butter, but expanding his repertoire will be a key part of his projection to the NFL. He is already showing progress on that front and generated pressure with multiple inside counters on Tuesday, including a rip against Emery Jones and a cross-chop against Gerald Lichtenhan that both resulted in pressures.
The rest of the Ravens’ young defensive linemen had a solid day, too. With most of the veterans absent, Aaron Graves, David Olajiga, Dion Wilson, and Aeneas Peebles all took advantage of additional reps and made plays in the backfield.
Having defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, who has both played and coached defensive line in Baltimore, back in the fold will be a huge boon in the trenches. He oversaw the ascent of Nnamdi Madubuike and Travis Jones during his last stint on the Ravens’ staff; similar improvements from Green, Young, Peebles, and others could have a huge short- and long-term impact in the trenches.
