Ravens DC Could Be Next Coaching Star

New Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr could be on his way up in the coaching ranks.

Oct 9, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Zachary Orr (54) celebrates his fumble recovery against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports / Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens' defense led the league in several key stats last season, but in order to maintain that success in 2024, they'll be counting on new defensive coordinator Zach Orr to step in without missing a beat.

Orr, one of the youngest coordinators in the league at just 32 years old, takes over for the departed Mike Macdonald, who left to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Fans and pundits alike seem very optimistic about the Orr hire, with some even predicting greater things to come.

On his Bootleg Football podcast, prominent NFL YouTuber Brett Kollman said that he believes Orr could quickly rise up the coaching ranks, even comparing him to Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans.

"I think Zach Orr is next up. He's been on that staff, he played in this system, he was there ever since Macdonald and Jesse Minter were young assistants," Kollmann said. "Some people have thrown around that he might be the next DeMeco. [I] wouldn't be surprised because the Ravens do tend to produce very good coaches. … Zach Orr is going to be a great 'D.C.,' I truly believe that. …If there was ever any young replacement in-house that was going to do a good job, I think it's him."

Looking at the career paths of Orr and Ryans, they're actually quite similar. Both played linebacker, though Orr's career was sadly cut short due to a rare spinal condition, and both went into coaching very soon after their retirement. They then worked their way up from analysts, or a quality control coach in Ryans' case, to position coaches and eventually defensive coordinators.

Ryans is a bit further along in his career of course, becoming Houston's head coach last offseason. In his first season with the Texans, the same team he started his playing career with in 2006, Ryans led a team that had toiled in the league's basement for years to 10 wins and a playoff victory. He also tied for first in Coach of the Year voting, only losing the award to Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski by one first place vote.

If Orr, who's eight years younger than Ryans, continues to follow a similar career path, then there will surely be great things ahead for him.

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