The Baltimore Ravens spent a third-round pick on Texas A&M defensive lineman Justin Madubuike and appeared in 10 games with three starts under his belt. He finished the season with 19 tackles, two quarterback hits, and one sack.
As of now, Madubuike is a backup on the defensive line and this isn’t a bad place for him considering the talent Baltimore has on the roster. Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, and Derek Wolfe are the starters and there’s really no debating that situation, as those guys are rock solid.
Josh Evans of CBS Sports had Madubuike as a sophomore player who could break out this year and it makes perfect sense. Here’s what Evans had to say:
"Madubuike had some moments of brilliance in college but consistency was part of the issue. He landed in the absolute best situation for him to learn how to compete and be a professional on a daily basis. Surrounded by an organization of continuity and structure, as well as veterans such as Derek Wolfe, Brandon Williams and Calais Campbell, Madubuike is poised to break out this season. Nate Tice recently posted a clip of the Texas A&M product getting the best of Brownsoffensive guard Wyatt Teller, who had his own breakout campaign in 2020.Oh yeah, and all he has done this offseason is train with three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald."
There’s definitely hope that Madubuike builds on his roster season and becomes a solid rotational piece for the Ravens this year.
As Evans mentioned in the blurb provided, Madubuike had his fair share of moments in college but lacked consistency. His best year came in 2019 when he totaled 45 tackles (11.5 for loss), five and a half sacks, two defended passes, one interception, and one forced fumble. It was that production that led the Ravens to spending a Day 2 pick on the Aggies defensive standout.
Ravens hoping for a big season from Justin Madubuike
The big storyline with Madubuike this offseason has been that he trained with Aaron Donald, who is the best in the league at getting to the quarterback. Madubuike has the traits to be a freak of nature on the gridiron but he has to put it all together and that’s what fans are hoping to see from him this year.
Justin Madubuike spent some time training with Aaron Donald and his crew this summer. Now the second-year defensive tackle with freakish athletic traits is looking to have a breakout season. https://t.co/LZkpZ9vKrU
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) August 10, 2021
The Ravens have worked hard to build up their defense and make sure it’s up to the task of slowing down these explosive offenses in the league. Madubuike is hopefully going to play a major role in that during year two and if all goes according to plan, he should be a more well-known name when the 2021 season wraps up.