The Baltimore Ravens have a plethora of defensive line depth, and have added plenty of talent at the position through free agency and the draft. However, one of the returning players on the unit has the potential for a true breakout season in Justin Madubuike, who is entering his third year in the NFL.
When Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh was asked about what he’s seen from Madubuike and what he expects from the third-year player, he went into detail about some of his expectations, which included disrupting against the the pass a bit more.
“We really expect him [Justin Madubuike] to take off, and he and I have talked about it. We expect Justin to just take it to another level, and that’s what he’s practicing to do – [to be] more consistent against the run, although he was good against the run last year, and let’s start disrupting the pass a little bit, like you’re seeing with the batted balls, and get a few sacks. So, he looks good – very determined.”
Madubuike has been solid in his first two seasons, but he has massive potential. He has the chance to carve out a massive role on defense in 2022 with his athletic ability, and could be called upon to take some of the workload off of veteran players such as Calais Campbell, Michael Pierce and others.
As a professional, Madubuike has accumulated 55 tackles and three sacks, but has also been a disruptor. If he can continue to improve and ascend, he could turn into a staple on the Ravens’ defensive line in no time.