Ravens: 3 early takeaways from rookie minicamp 2021
By Justin Fried
2. Daelin Hayes impressed the Ravens this weekend
The Ravens went into the 2021 NFL Draft with a sizable hole at edge rusher after seeing both Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue walk in free agency.
And even after taking Penn State’s Odafe Oweh in the first round, they decided that they weren’t done doubling up at the position and adding Notre Dame standout Daelin Hayes in Round 5.
Hayes might not be receiving the same level of hype as his rookie teammate, but he was arguably the more impressive of the two in minicamp.
Oweh wowed coaches with his athleticism, but Hayes was the more disruptive of the two making numerous plays in the backfield. Both Oweh and Hayes are seen as raw athletic talents, but at least after a few days of minicamp, Hayes looked more NFL-ready.
That’s great news for a Ravens team that needs all the help they could get in the pass-rush department.
Pernell McPhee still has some juice in him and the Ravens hope that Tyus Bowser could finally break out in 2021, but the depth behind them is marginal at best — unless someone like Jaylon Ferguson could step up.
The Ravens need not only Oweh to perform, but for Hayes to contribute as well.
And few players on the defensive side of the ball impressed more in rookie minicamp than the Notre Dame product did.
If early indications are something to go on, the Ravens might have landed a mid-round steal in Daelin Hayes.