The Baltimore Ravens made the decision to hire former assistant coach and Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to be their Wink Martindale replacement last week.
Macdonald obviously has extensive experience with the organization having spent the better part of the last eight years in Baltimore, save for his one-year stint at Michigan this past season.
But while the 34-year-old coach might take elements from the old Martindale scheme, he’ll likely bring a different approach to the position. Don’t expect Macdonald to be a carbon copy of his predecessor.
With that being said, a number of players could be set to benefit more from his arrival than others. Let’s take a look at four Ravens players who should be thrilled with the hiring of Mike Macdonald.
4. Tyus Bowser, OLB, Ravens
Tyus Bowser, like many on the Ravens’ roster, is very familiar with Macdonald. While Macdonald didn’t directly work with Bowser during his time in Baltimore, their paths have certainly crossed.
Macdonald was able to completely transform Michigan’s defense in 2021 and he oversaw the rise of two potential top-10 players in the 2022 NFL Draft, pass rushers Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo.
Bowser, to his credit, put together the best pass-rush season of his career this past season. He finished with a career-high seven sacks pacing the team in pass-rush productivity.
It’s easy to see Bowser continuing to improve under Macdonald’s watch. Once Bowser returns from injury, expect him to pick up right where he left off in 2021, provided the recovery process goes according to plan.