Former Ravens DE Becoming Instant Star With Panthers

Former Baltimore Ravens defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been a force with his new team.

Jul 30, 2024; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (7) smiles at Carolina Panthers Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Of all the Baltimore Ravens' losses on defense over the offseason, one could easily say that defensive end Jadeveon Clowney left the biggest hole.

Clowney may have only spent one season in Baltimore, but he absolutely made the most of it with 9.5 sacks, second on the team behind defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. That marked a career-high for the former No. 1 overall pick, matching his 2017 season with the Houston Texans.

The partnership apparently wasn't meant to last, though, as Clowney signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Carolina Panthers back in March. Clowney is from Rock Hill, South Carolina and played for the South Carolina Gamecocks in college, so it's a sort of homecoming for the 31-year-old, and a grand one at that.

Over his first offseason with the Panthers, Clowney has established himself as a player to keep a close eye on heading into the regular season, as he's reportedly been terrorizing the offense throughout practice.

"I mean, who's not excited to see Jadeveon Clowney," Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Thursday, per the team's site. "Disruptive was the word that I used early on when we got him, and he was ruining things for us a lot today."

Clowney may not have fully lived up to the insane hype he entered the league with, but he's still been a productive player with 52.5 sacks over 10 seasons. Even at 31 years old, he's still putting up strong numbers, which is far more than a lot of other players can say,

"I'm just practicing, working on my moves and myself really out there, just learning the defense," Clowney said. "I wasn't really worried about the team reps as far as me getting back there, whatever, just me working on me and running to the ball, getting in shape, getting ready for the season."

With Clowney gone, the Ravens are counting on younger edge rushers such as Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo to step up. Whether or not that approach works out is to be determined, but they seem confident in their approach right now.

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