Ravens: 5 players that improved their stock the most this summer
By Justin Fried
5. Jaylon Ferguson, OLB, Ravens
It’s no secret that Jaylon Ferguson has been a disappointment through his first two NFL seasons. The all-time FBS sack leader has managed just 4.5 sacks through two years in Baltimore.
Heading into the offseason, the expectation was that he could take on a larger role with Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue set to depart. However, the additions of Odafe Oweh and Daelin Hayes seemed to make that less likely.
The potential death knell was when the Ravens signed veteran Justin Houston. That left Ferguson as the de facto sixth outside linebacker, fighting for his roster spot.
If Ferguson had failed to impress this summer, it’s very possible that the Ravens would have just cut their losses and kept additional depth at a different position.
After all, the team didn’t need to carry six outside linebackers, even though they did last year. They could have used another defensive back or even a third quarterback.
Instead, Ferguson showed up to camp in the best shape of his life and won over the coaching staff. His coaches have been raving about his work ethic and spoken about the strides he’s taken this summer.
He’s gone from a player very much on the roster bubble to someone who might find his way back into the pass-rush rotation.
And that’s all because of the commitment he showed in the summer.