David Ojabo’s rise at Michigan was fast and explosive. After redshirting as a freshman and playing sparingly in 2020, he erupted in 2021 with 11 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and five forced fumbles on a dominant Wolverines defense. The buzz surrounding him pushed his draft stock into first-round territory — until he tore his Achilles at his Pro Day, just weeks before the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Baltimore Ravens still made the bet, selecting Ojabo in the second round with the 45th overall pick. It was framed as a high-upside swing — a redshirt rookie year, then impact as a situational pass rusher once healthy to potentially becoming a household sack artist. The connection to then-defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who coached Ojabo at Michigan, made the pick feel even more intriguing.
But three years later, the breakout still hasn’t come. Ojabo has played in only 18 games, started one, and recorded four total sacks. That’s not a development arc — that’s a player fighting for a roster spot.
David Ojabo’s lack of production and rising competition may spell the end in Baltimore
The numbers are hard to ignore. After missing most of his rookie season, Ojabo managed just one sack in 2023 across three games. He stayed on the field longer in 2024, appearing in 13 games, but registered just nine tackles and two sacks. He was frequently a healthy scratch, stuck behind Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, and Tavius Robinson in the edge rotation.
And now the Ravens have added even more competition. Mike Green, the FBS sack leader in 2024 with 17 at Marshall, was taken in the second round of this year’s draft. Green is expected to play early and often, likely eating into any remaining snaps Ojabo was fighting for. Add in 2024 third-round pick Adisa Isaac, another young edge with upside looking to make a name for himself, and the writing starts to appear on the wall.
The front office has shown patience with Ojabo, but his window is shrinking. He’s entering the final year of his rookie contract, has never played more than a rotational role, and hasn’t shown consistent disruption as a pass rusher or reliability against the run. Injuries slowed his start, but opportunity hasn’t done much to change the narrative.
Unless something clicks in camp, Ojabo could be the odd man out. The Ravens have too much invested in other pass rushers to keep waiting.