When the Baltimore Ravens selected David Ojabo with the 45th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, it was a classic Ravens move. A first-round talent who slid due to an Achilles tear, Ojabo was a gamble on upside—a high-risk, high-reward prospect they hoped would become a game-changing pass rusher. Nearly three seasons later, though, it’s hard to call this anything but a swing and a miss.
Ojabo has struggled to stay on the field, let alone make an impact. After playing just two games as a rookie while recovering from his Achilles injury, he managed three games in 2023 before tearing his ACL. This season, he started strong with a sack in the opener but hasn’t even cracked the stat sheet since Week 5, totaling just five tackles and one sack all year.
He’s now frequently a healthy scratch on game day, even with the Ravens’ pass rush struggling.
At this point, it’s hard to see Ojabo sticking around much longer. His rookie deal runs through 2025, but with no guaranteed money left and a salary cap hit of $2.5 million in 2025, cutting him this offseason would be an easy financial decision for Baltimore.
David Ojabo’s struggles leave Ravens wondering what could have been
What makes this situation even harder to swallow is the talent the Ravens passed on to draft Ojabo. Players like George Pickens, Alec Pierce, and Trey McBride were all taken in the next 10 picks. Any one of them could’ve addressed a major need for Baltimore.
Pickens, taken by the Steelers at 52, has blossomed into a legitimate WR1 with contested-catch ability and big-play potential. Meanwhile, Baltimore has had to watch him torment their secondary twice a year. Pierce has also shown flashes as a big, deep-threat receiving option, something the Ravens don't have.
Crazy watching us play this Pittsburgh Steelers game realizing the Baltimore Ravens selected extremely injury prone David Ojabo, who had a completely shattered Achilles, over George Pickens.
— 🐦⬛ Flockville 🐦⬛ (@Flockville) October 8, 2023
Very frustrating as a #Ravens fans.#RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/ufZdC08m6Z
It’s not just about who the Ravens could’ve had; it’s about what Ojabo hasn’t been. Injuries derailed his career from the start, but he hasn’t looked like the disruptive force Baltimore envisioned even when healthy. He's played in 14 games, across two-plus seasons, registering three sacks. Not so great for a pass rusher. While it’s tempting to chalk this up to bad luck, the reality is the Ravens made a calculated gamble, and it didn’t work out.
With Ojabo buried on the depth chart and showing no signs of breaking out, his future in Baltimore looks bleak. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s scheme hasn’t been a fit for him, and the Ravens’ investment in other pass rushers like Odafe Oweh and veteran free agents like Kyle Van Noy leaves little room for a reclamation project.
Cutting Ojabo would mark the end of a disappointing chapter for both player and team. The Ravens pride themselves on finding value in the draft, but in this case, they blatantly missed. And when you look at what could’ve been—a playmaker like Pickens, a reliable target like Pierce, or even another elite tight end in McBride—it’s hard not to wonder how much better this team could’ve been.
David Ojabo’s story in Baltimore feels like it’s nearing its final pages. For a franchise that’s usually a model of draft success, this is one "what-if" they’ll want to forget.