Baltimore Ravens: 3 predictions for the 2019 NFL Draft class
2. Jaylon Ferguson will have eight sacks as a rookie:
The Baltimore Ravens have some quarterback sack production to replace without Terrell Suggs and Za’Darius Smith. Last season the Ravens got 15.5 sacks from this veteran combination. My prediction is that Ferguson nets the Ravens eight quarterback sacks this season. Ferguson has the potential to become one of the best pass rushers in the NFL but the monster season isn’t going to come away. Eight sacks is realistic and would be on par with what elite pass rushers tend to get as rookies. Ferguson has a lot of burst off the edge. He may not win every battle, but the idea that he won’t win his fair share off the edge some is laughable.
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Ferguson was a beacon of consistency at Louisiana Tech. He had no less than six sacks in a season in his four year collegiate career. In 2016 he had 14.5 sacks and in 2018 he finished with 17.5 sacks. He broke the record that Terrell Suggs set back in the day for the most sacks in a college football career. Ferguson had 45 sacks in four years, predicting that he has eight in one year is fair.
The NFL is a big step up from Louisiana Tech but Ferguson has the physical tool set to be successful. He’s 6’5″ with long arms and a lot of explosiveness. He’s going to fly off the edge enough to be a productive rookie. Is he raw? Of course he is. That doesn’t mean he can’t be successful. If Ferguson had that kind of production at LSU instead of Louisiana Tech he would have been drafted in the first round. With their third round pick the Ravens are betting that Ferguson can translate his production from college into the pros, and that he can contribute right away. The Ravens should be rewarded for this bet.