With the Baltimore Ravens trading outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers, they quickly find themselves in desperate need of another pass rusher. They reshuffled their defense by receiving safety Alohi Gilman in the deal, improving their secondary, but the depth along the edge will take an obvious hit.
Rookie second-round pick Mike Green and fourth-year pro David Ojabo are expected to earn more reps without Oweh in the fray, but both have disappointed through five weeks. In Green’s case, the Ravens will continue to lean on him as they focus on his development. However, given the urgency in Baltimore to turn their season around, Ojabo will likely have a short leash.
There are not many other options outside of Ojabo to provide help pressuring opposing quarterbacks, and even then, the Ravens have generated just six sacks in 2025. That mark is tied for third-worst in the NFL. They clearly need someone else to play the role of X-factor, and that player could be third-year linebacker Trenton Simpson.
Trenton Simpson could be the perfect Odafe Oweh replacement
Simpson was a versatile weapon for Clemson’s defense throughout his college career, but has stuck at linebacker at the NFL level. When the Ravens drafted him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, they had plans for him to be the future partner in crime for All-Pro Roquan Smith. That has yet to play out, and while his Raven career looks to be on shaky ground, a switch to outside linebacker could be in his future.
At Clemson, Simpson was productive as a blitzer, and in his sophomore campaign, he had a breakout year as a pass rusher. He tallied six sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2022, proving to be one of the most versatile players in the nation. In the NFL, his blitzing prowess has continued, registering a 77.3 pass rush grade, per Pro Football Focus, and he has been one of the best overall pass rushers on the team.
Nothing is confirmed, but it is widely expected that Smith will be out for another week of action, which should put the duo of Simpson and Teddye Buchanan starting in the middle of the field again in Week 6. Once Smith returns, though, the option is open to give Simpson a shot as an outside linebacker.
Simpson’s combination of athleticism, physicality, and ability in pursuit could make him the perfect replacement for Oweh. At this point in the season, the Ravens are considering everything to bounce back from their 1-4 start, and one of those changes could be using Simpson more as a pass rusher.