The Baltimore Ravens will have a host of difficult roster decisions to make next week. One of those will revolve around outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson.
The Ravens will be forced to trim their rosters down from 80 to 53 players next Tuesday. And Ferguson is one of the many players hoping to survive final cuts.
Despite a disappointing start to his career, Ferguson has impressed coaches this summer and looks to be in the best shape of his life. Unfortunately, he finds himself buried on the depth chart.
His performance in this Saturday’s preseason finale could go a long way toward determining his roster status.
The Ravens have a decision to make with Jaylon Ferguson
A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Ferguson has underwhelmed through the first two seasons of his career. Despite receiving ample playing time, Ferguson has managed just 4.5 sacks in 28 career games.
That’s a far cry from the FBS-record 45 sacks he managed over four years at Louisiana Tech.
Ferguson’s struggles have been well-documented to this point, but the hope was that he could return in 2021 and fight for playing time in a new-look Ravens pass rush corps.
The departures of Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward in the offseason seemingly left an opening for Ferguson to make an impact.
However, the Ravens went out and added Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes in the 2021 NFL Draft before signing Justin Houston late last month.
The result is a crowded group of outside linebackers that leaves Ferguson fighting an uphill battle to even make the roster.
Five outside linebackers are guaranteed roster spots. The aforementioned Oweh, Hayes, and Houston as well as the returning Tyus Bowser and Pernell McPhee.
As for Ferguson, he’ll have to convince the Ravens to carry six outside linebackers in order to make the team.
He’s doing his part this summer as, despite a lack of splash plays, Ferguson has been playing pretty well. The 25-year-old is showing that he still might have some untapped potential as he looks to secure a role on the roster.
Essentially, Ferguson is competing against himself.
There is no other outside linebacker he’s trying to fend off for a roster spot. If he’s to make the team, he’ll have to prove to the Ravens that he’s deserving of it.
With one final preseason game this Saturday against the Washington Football Team, Ferguson will set out to prove once and for all that he deserves a spot on this team.
Few players have more to lose (or gain) than Ferguson does this weekend.