Ravens Believe Next Superstar LB Has Emerged

Baltimore Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith has high hopes for Odafe Oweh this season.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh (99) celebrates after making a defensive play against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. / Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

If the Baltimore Ravens defense is going to remain among the league's elite this season, they're going to need a few young players to elevate their games to another level.

Chief among them is outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. The 2021 first-round pick has shown flashes at times but has yet to put it all together through three seasons in Baltimore. Ravens pass rush coach Chuck Smith has all the belief in the world that Oweh can eventually live up to the billing that comes with being a first-round pick this season.

"He's going to be an A-list rusher, and I'm just excited for him," Smith said. "He's buying in as he always has, he's a good dude, and no one deserves to finally reach that pinnacle [more] than Odafe, and I think he's going to go 100% to reach that goal."

Through three seasons, Oweh has 13 sacks. Last year, Oweh matched his career-high from his rookie season with five after playing in 13 games. While Oweh's five sacks and 12 quarterback hits don't pop off the stat sheet, Smith made sure to note Oweh was off to a great start before suffering an ankle injury in Week 2 that forced him to miss four straight games.

In the Ravens' season-opener against the Houston Texans, Oweh had three quarterback hits and in the following week against the Cincinnati Bengals, he had one more before injuring his ankle.

"Odafe came out smoking. Odafe ended up having five sacks. He missed four or five games. He missed four and then he went out at [the] half on another; that's five games."

With Jadeveon Clowney gone to the Carolina Panthers and Kyle Van Noy being 33 years old, Baltimore needs its young pass rushers to take the next step in their development. For Oweh, that may ultimately come down to just remaining healthy and staying on the field.

If Oweh can play for a full 17 games, he may very well have a shot to become one of Baltimore's top pass rushers this season.

"He needs to be on the field and continue to get those reps," Smith said. "He needs to continue to do as he's doing now – playing fast, executing his moves and things like that. And if he gets those five games and those other, arguably, 400-500 reps, he's a double-digit sacker."

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