The Baltimore Ravens have been gifted with numerous talented players on the defensive fronts over their 26-year history. From Tony Siragusa to Haloti Ngata to Calais Campbell and everyone in between, the team has had dominant defenses in part due to the play of their defensive linemen.
When ranking the best NFL defensive lines ahead of the 2022 season, Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus put Baltimore’s unit in the third tier out of six total. He placed them in the “solid, all around defensive fronts” category, which landed them at No. 18 overall. When explaining his decision, Linsey acknowledged the team made some strong moves in free agency and the draft.
“Baltimore added some size on the interior with Michael Pierce‘s return in free agency in addition to drafting Travis Jones out of UConn. Both should help bolster their run defense alongside Calais Campbell and Justin Madubuike.”
One player that Linsey believes needs to step up big in his second NFL season is outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. Oweh performed well during his rookie year and will be relied on heavily to rush the quarterback moving forward.
“This group’s ceiling hinges on second-year edge defender Odafe Oweh‘s improvement. Oweh had a solid rookie season against both the run and pass, ending the year with a 67.9 PFF grade. He enters the 2022 season as the Ravens’ top option off the edge and will be relied upon to generate pressure on a defense lacking high-end pass-rushing options.”
Baltimore’s defensive line appeared to be low on the list, as the talent they have feels like they should be put a bit higher in the rankings. However, the team thrives on being underdogs and will be ready to have a bounce back season in 2022.