NFL training camp always opens a huge opportunity for under-the-radar players looking to make some noise. It’s the start of what will be a crucial month for those guys, and with the Baltimore Ravens, many of them will need to start fast. It’ll be very tough to make that 53-man roster.
CJ Okoye is one of those players who desperately needs a strong finish to his summer. After Baltimore improved the depth of their defensive line this offseason, Okoye has become a bit of an afterthought. However, the 370-pound giant remains an intriguing piece with potential in the middle of the defensive front.
Okoye should have the chance to impress, too. The Ravens recently put six players on the PUP list, and among those are three defensive linemen—Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, and John Jenkins. As a result, there’s an undeniable path for Okoye to emerge.
CJ Okoye has early opportunity to emerge in Baltimore Ravens training camp
This might feel like a broken record. Last season, everyone was talking about Okoye’s potential, and while he was initially cut following the preseason, he made it back to the practice squad and played in 13 games. Unfortunately, his 2025 was rather disappointing.
Okoye is still relatively new to the game of football, though. He started playing in 2022 and didn’t start participating in organized activities until 2023. If anything, the fact that he was getting snaps in the NFL just a couple years later might be pretty encouraging.
As the 24-year-old enters his fourth year in the NFL, it’s entirely possible that he finally breaks out. After gaining valuable on-field experience for the first time in his football career last season, Okoye could take that and run with it.
In training camp, we might see a fair amount of Okoye in the early going, as well. Again, there are three defensive linemen on the PUP list, and two of those, Travis Jones and John Jenkins, can rotate in at nose tackle. That’s the role that Okoye plays, and with camp snaps opening up there, he needs to develop his technique and prove he’s a viable candidate to make the initial roster.
The need to capitalize on that becomes all the more crucial looking at the depth along the interior. Broderick Washington Jr. and Aeneas Peebles are fighting for a roster spot and positioning on the depth chart, and the Ravens also drafted Rayshaun Benny in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Okoye must prove he’s more worthy of a roster spot than that trio.
At the end of the day, Okoye is still a major unknown. Even with the increase in experience last year, he didn’t show many encouraging signs. However, he gets Jesse Minter back by his side in 2026, the defensive playcaller he learned under with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024. If anyone knows how to get the most out of Okoye, it’s him.
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