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Baltimore Ravens: Why the defense will remain dominant in 2019

By Richard Bradshaw

BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 21: Defensive Back Anthony Levine #41 of the Baltimore Ravens and linebacker Patrick Onwuasor #48 celebrate after recovering a fumble in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at M&T Bank Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 21: Defensive Back Anthony Levine #41 of the Baltimore Ravens and linebacker Patrick Onwuasor #48 celebrate after recovering a fumble in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at M&T Bank Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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CARSON, CA – DECEMBER 22: Patrick Onwuasor #48 reacts to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Tavon Young #25 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on December 22, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – DECEMBER 22: Patrick Onwuasor #48 reacts to a fumble recovery for a touchdown by Tavon Young #25 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Chargers at StubHub Center on December 22, 2018 in Carson, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The linebackers are getting overlooked:

Losing C.J. Mosley was undoubtedly the biggest, and most unexpected, blow the Ravens suffered this off-season. Letting a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker, and the leader of your defense since being drafted 17th overall in 2014, is a tough pill to swallow. Still, I have faith that Baltimore will find a way to fill his void as best they can.

How is that, you ask? Simple: next man up mentality. This is a practice the Ravens have a lot of experience in, as the team is routinely “gutted” on defense. The Baltimore’s front office does as good a job as any other at identifying future needs, drafting replacements, and developing them into eventual starters.

While losing Mosley was completely out of the cards for the Ravens, there remains some possible answers on the team. For starters, Patrick Onwuasor is coming off a stellar season in which he notched 5.5 sacks, forced two fumbles, picked off a pass, and simply ran around the field with his hair on fire. He will now be the leader on the inside, next to youngster Kenny Young and (potentially) Tyus Bowser, assuming he changes positions.

Moving Tyus Bowser to inside linebacker could be worthwhile for Ravens. light. Related Story

Double-dipping into our previous slide about the defensive line, these guys will have wide-open allies to run through and make plays. Onwuasor’s 5.5 sacks were fantastic, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t be as effective as a pass rusher in 2019. Meanwhile, Young and Bowser can only be better because of the easy time they’ll have navigating traffic and finding the football. All they have to do is rundown the offensive player with the ball and let the d-linemen keep them clean.

Are any of the players currently at linebacker Pro Bowlers? More than likely not, no. But, Baltimore doesn’t need them to be Pro Bowlers; they need them to make tackles and limit big-play opportunities. This linebacking core is young, fast, and ready to prove something in 2019. I have a feeling these kids will come out and shock the world this season.

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