How have the Ravens fared drafting edge rushers over the past 10 years?
Welcome to part four of our Revisiting Recent Draft History series. If you haven’t, please check out our previous articles.
Much can change between now and draft weekend, but the magnitude of the draft will remain the same. The Ravens have long prioritized using the draft as their primary mechanism to add talent and strengthen their roster.
In preparation for this year’s upcoming cycle, it can be useful to revisit history to understand the team’s drafting tendencies, where they’ve hit, where they’ve missed, and other notable trends. This series will outline each of the Ravens’ draft picks at certain positions dating back 10 years to 2014, broken down into the following categories:
- Early-Round = Player drafted in Round 1-2
- Mid-Round = Player drafted in Round 3-4
- Late-Round = Player drafted in Round 5-7
Next we’ll look at the team’s history drafting at the edge rusher position, where they’ve made 11 total selections during this span.
Early-Round Picks (Rounds 1-2):
- David Ojabo (R2, 2022)
- Odafe Oweh (R1, 2021)
- Tyus Bowser (R2, 2017)
- Kamalei Correa (R2, 2016)
Mid-Round Picks (Rounds 3-4):
- Tavius Robinson (R4, 2023)
- Jaylon Ferguson (R3, 2019)
- Tim Williams (R3, 2017)
- Bronson Kaufusi (R3, 2016)
- Za’Darius Smith (R4, 2015)
Late-Round Picks (Rounds 5-6):
- Daelin Hayes (R5, 2021)
- Matthew Judon (R5, 2016)
Biggest hit: Matthew Judon
Biggest miss: Kamalei Correa
The Ravens have been draft-heavy at the edge rusher position in recent years, particularly in the early and middle rounds. All but two of their 11 total selections have been before Round 5, which includes three second-round picks and one first-round pick.
The results have been mixed overall but the Ravens have had some success finding contributors and getting good value. Judon and Smith in the mid-2010s, drafted in the fifth and fourth round, stand out as the best value picks on this list. Unfortunately, both players played their way into a bigger contract elsewhere and departed Baltimore. Judon made two Pro Bowls in his last two seasons with the Ravens and then became one of the league’s leading sack-getters. Smith did the same and has made multiple Pro Bowls and an All-Pro team in his post-Ravens career.
As for the edge rushers drafted most recently, the paint is still wet. However, 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh has proven he can produce through three seasons, but has missed time with injury and had some inconsistency. the upcoming 2024 season is set to be a pivotal, potential breakout year for the former Penn State product.
Ojabo missed his entire rookie season and nearly all of his sophomore season in 2023 due to injuries. It’s far too premature to call this pick a miss but Ojabo staying healthy and developing into a contributor in 2024 would go a long way for both him and the team.
The Ravens’ track record drafting edge rushers has not been entirely clean. The decision to draft Correa in the 2016 second round ultimately proved to be a poor one. Correa played just 24 games over two seasons for the team, produced zero sacks and one quarterback hit.
That same year they drafted Kaufusi in the third round. He similarly did not stick around long. Kaufusi has been out of the league since 2019 and Correa last played in 2020 for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both Hayes and Williams are other former picks that did not produce.
Bowser was released by the team this offseason after an unfortunate downward spiral over the past couple years. Bowser had a career-best season in 2021, then played only nine games in 2022 and missed time with injury. Then, Bowser was absent the entire 2023 season with a lingering knee ailment that remains an unknown why he didn’t return to the field.
The Ravens’ current depth chart at the position is young, with the lone veteran being Kyle Van Noy, who was just re-signed. They’re almost certain to draft another edge rusher at some point in this cycle and it could again be in one of the first few rounds.