The Ravens visited with Justin Houston and they’ve been discussed as a possible landing spot for other pass rushers, but they have resisted adding any veterans to the mix despite seeing several leave in free agency.
Pass rush hasn’t been ignored altogether, however. They drafted former Penn State linebacker Odafe Oweh in the first round and former Notre Dame edge rusher Daelin Hayes in the fifth round, which leaves defensive coordinator Wink Martindale “really happy with what we have right now and where we’re going with it.”
One concern others may have is that Oweh’s impressive physical traits didn’t translate into any sacks for Penn State last season. Martindale noted that Oweh plays the run better than most outside linebackers and expressed confidence that the other part of his game will come together.
“He’s only played football for five years,” Martindale said, via Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. “That’s why I’m talking about him being raw. But the thing of it is, there’s things he does right now in practice that’s better than what our veterans can do. And he’s just learning it, too. He doesn’t even have the technique perfected. But there’s things that he does that he’s better than some of the veterans can do. And that’s what’s exciting about him. And on top of that, he’s a great person. He wants to be great, and he checks all those boxes. And I guarantee, he’s going to be on the quarterback. He’s going to hit the quarterback, so don’t worry about that.”
Martindale said any decisions about bolstering the pass rush would come from General Manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh, but he sounds ready to go with a group that also includes Pernell McPhee, Tyus Bowser, and Jaylon Ferguson.