Ravens LB Sleeper Catching Eyes of Coaches

Malik Harrison remains a key rotational piece of the Baltimore Ravens' defense.

Nov 20, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison (40) reacts after making a play against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports / Jessica Rapfogel-USA TODAY Sports

With all the star power on the Baltimore Ravens' defense, it's very easy for linebacker Malik Harrison to fly under the radar.

A 2020 third-round pick out of Ohio State, Harrison has been an important depth piece throughout his first four seasons in Baltimore. His standout trait is without a doubt his versatility, as he can comfortably play anywhere on the second level of the defense.

Harrison's potential was on full display Thursday, as he reportedly intercepted a pass by Josh Johnson and recovered a fumble from rookie running back Rasheen Ali to help the defense win the day.

"Malik is that guy, almost like 'Pat' [Patrick Mekari] on the [offensive] side," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters. "He plays inside 'backer,' both of them. He plays outside 'backer' in our base package. He plays defensive end also in our subpackages. He plays every special team. [He's] a very valuable player, and I see him playing all of those positions during the season as it comes up. He's done a great job. [I'm] really, really proud of Malik."

This season, the Ravens will be counting on Harrison's versatility more than ever. The loss of outside linebacker Malik Hamm, who suffered a torn ACL earlier this week, is a big blow to their depth at the position, but Harrison being able to fill in could go a long way.

That said, Harbaugh isn't ruling out the possibility of signing another linebacker to help fill the void, even after adding Quincy Roche in the wake of Hamm's injury.

"We'll definitely continue to evaluate every spot, including the outside 'backer' spot, because you just never know from one day to the next, especially in camp, because you want to have enough guys to practice at a high level," Harbaugh said. "But Adisa [Isaac] is going to get back here at some point in time soon. It's been nagging him, but I do think he'll be back sometime soon. That's another depth piece [and] a guy that we're counting on, so we'll have to see where it goes."

Even if the Ravens decide not to go down that route, simply having a player with Harrison's skillset around is extremely valuable.

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