Full details and grade as Ravens deal Odafe Oweh to Chargers in unexpected move

The Baltimore Ravens made an unexpected move on Tuesday, trading outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers. The deal was first reported by NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

According to Adam Schefter, Baltimore will send Oweh and a 2027 seventh-round selection owned by the Los Angeles Rams to the Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman and a 2026 fifth-round selection.

This is not a white flag move by Baltimore, but more of a reshuffling of defensive pieces, as they look to bounce back after a horrendous 1-4 start.

Ravens make shocking move, trading Odafe Oweh to the Chargers

Grade: B

The Ravens are in desperation mode. The defense ranks the worst in the NFL with 177 points allowed, which is 20 more than the second-worst New York Jets. Through five weeks, they have already given up more points than the 2000 Ravens’ defense did throughout the entire season. 
In this move, they deal one of their pass rushers, add a late-round pick in next year’s draft, and receive a player in Gilman who could help turn around Baltimore’s secondary struggles.

They are not losing a ton with Oweh. The 2021 first-round pick has yet to tally a sack in 2025 and has just one tackle for loss. Still, their pass rush depth will be tested, and the group has already struggled to total sacks with only six through five games.

It is known that DeCosta loves his picks, but the real intrigue comes with Gilman. Gilman will not blow anybody away with his play, but he could be the perfect replacement for Ar’Darius Washington, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury.

If Gilman can make a seamless transition into Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr’s defense, he could mesh perfectly alongside rookie Malaki Starks in the backend. That would also allow versatile safety Kyle Hamilton to roam around the field more and fly to the football. Gilman also played with Hamilton at Notre Dame, so there is chemistry already there.

The Ravens had an atrocious start on the defensive side in 2024, but after giving Washington starting reps, they were able to construct an outstanding midseason turnaround. The defense seems a lot worse this year, but Head Coach John Harbaugh seems confident the right changes can be made, and it looks like it will start with Alohi Gilman.

The bottom line is, the Ravens got something of value in return for a player in Oweh, who was likely gone by season’s end.