EDGE Rushers The Ravens Could Target

The team was 11th in the NFL last year, with 43 team sacks, but the team still needs help at the position. The Ravens were bullied by the Tennessee Titans in their playoff loss, with the front office making bolstering the defense a priority this year. They have retained leading sack man Matt Judon, and have traded for Calais Campbell from the Jaguars. Signing Derek Wolfe from the Broncos adds depth to the position, but the Ravens will likely look for extra depth from the draft.

First – Round Edge Target: A.J Epenesa – Iowa

The Ravens are likely to use an early-round draft pick on a defensive line prospect, and some recent mock drafts have the Ravens selecting A.J Epenesa from Iowa. Epenesa is one of the safest prospects in the draft and will provide great positional versatility.

His 5.04 40-time will scare some teams, but he’s a mountain of a man a 6ft 5 and 275 pounds. He could beef up to 285 and be an excellent interior lineman who helps in the run game. He could also be pushed outside in third-down situations and be a solid pass rusher. Twenty-two sacks in his last two seasons at Iowa show his talent. His ceiling isn’t as high as some other D-line prospects, but his floor is very high. He could quickly become an eight sacks a season rotational piece for the Ravens.

First – Round Edge Target: Yetur Gross-Matos – Penn State

Another player often mocked to the Ravens is Penn State edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. Unlike Epenesa, however, Gross-Matos projects only as an edge rusher in the NFL. His size at 6ft 5 and 266 pounds and technique needs a lot of work with the run game, but he flashes enough potential as a pass rusher.

A lot of NFL draft analysts project him as a late first-round pick. He is much more of a boom or bust prospect, but if he goes to the right team and adds power and greater technique to his repertoire, he can be a really good NFL pass rusher. The Ravens good starting point means they could gamble on a prospect like Gross-Matos to become their next great pass rusher.

Second – Round Target: Julian Okwara – Notre Dame

The Ravens have two late second-round picks, and could easily use one to select Notre Dame edge rusher Julian Okwara. Early in the draft process, some predicted him to be a first-round pick, but it now looks likely he will be available late in the second.

Okwara’s senior season was cut short after nine games thanks to a broken leg, but in 2018 he flashed potential, leading the team with eight sacks. His lacks ideal size at 6ft 4 252 pounds, but in an NFL strength program, he can easily gain muscle. He is a pure edge rusher who struggles in the run game but could be a high-value rotational piece for Baltimore if he’s available late in the second round. Second – Round Target: Raekwon Davis – Alabama

Raekwon Davis from Alabama fits the Baltimore Ravens perfectly for several reasons. First of all, thanks to previous GM Ozzie Newsome, the Ravens love to draft Alabama players. They’ve drafted four in the past three years.

Baltimore values size more than most in the NFL. Their defense is predicated on big hulking physical specimens over players with speed. Davis first their interior defensive line perfectly at 6ft 6 and 311 pounds. After losing Michael Pierce, 6ft 0 345 pounds, to free agency Davis could be the perfect run-stopping presence alongside Brandon Williams. At a combined 645 pounds, Davis and Williams would ensure the Ravens rarely get beaten in the downhill run game. Third – Round Target: Jabari Zuniga – Florida

The Ravens could use one of their two late third-round picks on a supplemental piece such as Jabari Zuniga from Florida. Zuniga is an edge rusher who flashed potential in his five years at the Gators, but for varied reasons never fully realized his potential. Injuries hampered him in 2019, a high ankle sprain ending his season after six games.

He played interior defensive line at Florida, as the coaches wanted to put their best players on the field. This didn’t help Zuniga, who projects as a sub-package rusher in the NFL. He could be a tremendous third-down presence for the Ravens, who could use the talents of Zuniga to bolster their defensive line. Zuniga would be an excellent value pick late in the third-round for Baltimore.