The Baltimore Ravens made one of the first splash moves ahead of the trade deadline on October 7, trading outside linebacker Odafe Oweh to the Los Angeles Chargers for safety Alohi Gilman. The deal also included a pick swap. In four weeks since the deal, it has been a win for both sides.
In Gilman, Baltimore has found the perfect piece to play alongside rookie safety Malaki Starks in the back end of the secondary. The addition has allowed Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr to utilize Kyle Hamilton all around the field, powering a defensive surge in their past three games.
For the Chargers, Oweh has brought plenty of juice to their pass rush unit. Starters Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu are supplying plenty of pressure, and Oweh is feasting right next to them.
In Los Angeles’ Week 9 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Oweh tallied two sacks. In four games with the Chargers now, he already has four sacks. While the Ravens’ defense has improved, as well, Oweh’s breakout in Los Angeles is bringing an underlying issue to the surface that has plagued Baltimore for years.
Odafe Oweh's surge exposes Ravens' glaring pass rush development problem
In recent history, the Baltimore Ravens have had no issue getting to the quarterback. Since 2022, their defenses have placed inside the top five in total sacks. In 2022, they finished fifth in the NFL with 48. In 2023, they led the league with 60 sacks. In 2024, they were second with 54 sacks. However, this season, they rank tied for 31st with 11 sacks.
The issue in 2025 becomes all the more pronounced with Oweh’s quick success with the Chargers. Sure, Oweh did not help Baltimore turn around their struggles. After a 10-sack campaign in 2024, he had zero through five games with the team this season. Gilman has completely changed Orr’s unit, but Oweh’s development in Los Angeles has fans fearing that they may be seeing a story unfold, one that has been told multiple times before.
Oweh never reached his full potential in Baltimore, and that has been said time and time again about Ravens pass rushers. Matthew Judon and Za’Darius Smith are the two obvious examples of their development problems.
Judon made two Pro Bowls with the Ravens, but truly reached another level when he signed with the New England Patriots in the 2021 offseason. He totaled career highs in sacks in back-to-back seasons, tallying 12.5 in 2021 and 15.5 in 2022.
In Smith’s case, he also found swift success after leaving the Ravens. He finished with 8.5 sacks in his final year in Baltimore, and after joining the Green Bay Packers, he became one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. He had 13.5 sacks in 2019 and 12.5 the following year.
Oweh is not guaranteed to have the type of post-Baltimore career that Judon and Smith had, but he is certainly trending toward it. Of course, General Manager Eric DeCosta should not have any regret from the trade given the defense’s success. If Oweh continues the tear he has been on, though, there may need to be a conversation to be had about Baltimore’s pass rush development.