Following a decisive Week 2 win, the Baltimore Ravens learned of some unfortunate news regarding their star pass rusher, Kyle Van Noy. The veteran injured his hamstring in the win, and the team is bracing for him to be out for the next couple of weeks.
In his place, rookie Mike Green will see an increase in snaps, and third-year pro Tavius Robinson could lean into a more crucial role. However, the outside linebacker room will now run a bit shallow, and they will likely turn to underachieving draft pick David Ojabo to take more snaps.
Ojabo has failed to live up to the expectations of a second-round pick in his fourth season. He has yet to play a game in 2025, as he has been a healthy scratch through the first two weeks of the campaign. In Week 3 against the Detroit Lions, his chance should finally come.
Ravens' underachieving defender could get a shot at redemption amid injury shakeup
With Van Noy out, Ojabo should be the team’s fourth outside linebacker on Monday night, but he will be in an all-out fight for snaps with Odafe Oweh, Green, and Robinson all providing sustainable play. Even Trenton Simpson can be used on the edge and has found decent success as a pass rusher throughout his career.
Ojabo has been unproductive at the NFL level. He has mustered up just four sacks in 18 games, but in all fairness, injuries have plagued his career. From a torn Achilles to a partially torn ACL, the 25-year-old has had an unfair hand dealt to him. However, the best ability is availability, and unfortunately, Ojabo has been anything but healthy.
Ojabo finally had a fully healthy offseason, though, and he is looking to take advantage of the opportunity with Van Noy down. If he can tap into the potential everyone saw in him at Michigan when he totaled 11 sacks in his 2021 campaign, then the Ravens will not miss a beat.
It is all the more crucial that Ojabo showcases at least a slight glimmer of talent in the coming weeks, as he is also in a contract year. With very little shown up to this point, his tenure in Baltimore may be over once 2025 wraps up, but he is still auditioning for a future team. The Ravens' matchup with Detroit could be a turning point in Ojabo's career if he shows out in a big way on prime time.