Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy names undrafted rookie ‘team favorite’ for passion and work ethic

The two-time Super Bowl champion was proud of what he saw from Joe Evans in the preseason opener.

The most notable and decorated player on the Baltimore Ravens roster who grew up in Iowa and played for the University of Iowa is 2023 Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum. However, the mantle of Mr. Iowa belongs to undrafted rookie outside linebacker Joe Evans according to 11-year veteran edge defender Kyle Van Noy.

“That’s Mr. Iowa right there,” Van Noy told reporters on Monday. “He’s an Iowa Hawkeye if I’ve ever seen one.”

Common traits that all players who hail from the Iowa football program and just people from the blue-collar state in general are toughness, grit and a hard work ethic, all of which Evans has displayed since joining the team and showcased in the Ravens preseason opener when he played the most snaps of any player on the team on either side of the ball. His 68 defensive snaps played were more than double any player on offense and he also saw the field for six special teams snaps as well.

“I just love his passion for the game. I love that he didn’t complain one bit,” Van Noy said. “Not only is it an interview for this place, it’s an interview for 31 other teams. He did a really good job. Obviously, he wasn’t perfect, but to play as many snaps as he did, and his pass rush, and just being all over the place; I was proud of him. I try to stay back, and [I will talk with them] if they come up and ask, or if I see a pointer, [but] I don’t ever want to be in somebody’s flow like that, especially when they’re grinding the way he was grinding to be like, “Hey do this.” It’s easy for me to say, so I was proud of how he played. He’s a team favorite right now.”

Evans was a prolific pass rusher in college who racked up 28 career sacks over five seasons with the Hawkeyes and while he is a good athlete, his relentless motor and effort got him a lot of those quarterback takedowns. That motor was tested against the Philadelphia Eagles in his first taste of NFL action this past Friday and he didn’t disappoint, recording six total tackles—tied for the third-most on the team.

“That’s part of the preseason, because sometimes you’re going to ask guys to play positions that they normally don’t play, or play a lot of snaps, and I’m so proud of Joe,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said Tuesday. “He didn’t bat an eye, and that’s the type of guys we like. Those guys ‘Play Like a Raven,’ and that’s what we look for – guys who are going to go out there, do the dirty work, do what’s asked of him and give it everything they’ve got.”

With second-year pro Malik Hamm—who the Ravens were counting on to provide depth on the edge—out for the 2024 season after suffering a torn ACL earlier in training camp, Evans has a clearer pathway to making the initial 53-man roster and potentially filling the key depth role the team had planned for last year’s undrafted free agent standout edge defender. He’ll need to keep up the good work and try to continue raising his game to an even higher level over the next few weeks of practice and the final two preseason games to give himself the best odds of making the final cut.