John Harbaugh reveals timeline for OLB David Ojabo’s ACL recovery

The third-year edge defender is slated to “graduate” to on-field drills “somewhere in training camp.”

The Baltimore Ravens defense went from having its ability to rush opposing quarterbacks questioned ahead of the 2023 season to finishing with the most sacks in the league by the end of the year. Three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney was second on the team in sacks with a career-high 9.5 but departed in free agency.

One of the young players at the position slated to step up into a larger role is third-year pro David Ojabo who has flashed promising talent during his first two years in the league but has been hampered by injuries. He is currently working his way back from a partially torn ACL that ended his 2023 season after just three games and on Thursday, head coach John Harbaugh provided an update on when he will begin to take part in practice in a greater capacity.

“His timeline, I believe, is somewhere in training camp,” Harbaugh said. “It won’t be minicamp, but it’s at some point in time once we get back for training camp.”

Ojabo was projected to be a first-round who would’ve gone as high as the top 15 in the 2022 NFL Draft but a torn Achilles he suffered at his Pro Day in March of that year caused him to fall to the second round and miss the majority of his rookie season.

Despite having only a pair in six career games between the regular and postseason, Ojabo has displayed difference-making potential with two career sacks that resulted in forced fumbles recovered for turnovers and two quarterback hits in 124 combined defensive snaps.

Having not played football until late into his prep career, Ojabo is still relatively new to the game and possesses a tremendous amount of untapped potential. With a clean bill of health and elite tutelage from Ravens outside linebackers coach and renowned pass rush specialist, Chuck Smith, he could be primed to finally break out in 2024.