Ravens Outside Linebackers Coach Dishes On Personnel

Outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins discusses players.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Odafe Oweh faces lofty expectations as a rookie, Jaylon Ferguson is going to dominate the edge, and Justin Houston is already playing like a Raven, according to outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins.

Oweh was the 31st overall selection in this year's draft. He's been solid throughout training and Wilkins is hopeful that will translate to the regular season. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased with where he’s at right now. And the thing that he has that not a lot of rookies do is he’s got that sense of urgency. He understands [that] we have big expectations for him, from Week One. This isn’t a project. This is a guy who’s going to come in and play for us right away. 

"So, whether it’s the run game, whether it’s executing the defense, whether it’s his one-on-one pass rush, whether it’s two-on-two games, whether it’s anything that he needs to do to execute highly in our defense, he needs to be there now, and we feel great about where he’s at. [With] that sense of urgency, every rep matters, every day matters.

Oweh has the change to start at outside linebackers. There will be no so-called redshirt year to learn the nuances of playing in the NFL.

“I had a chance this summer to go watch that Orioles prospect, Adley Rutschman," Wilkins said. He’s got three years to get ready; we’ve got three preseason games. So, we’re going to hit the ground running right now. He knows that. He’s going to take every single rep seriously because that’s going to get him ready to go.”

Entering his third year, Ferguson faces a critical season and he will have to compete for snaps. Ferguson, who was selected by the Ravens in their round (85th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft, has amassed just 4.5 sacks over his career.

“He’s gotten so much better in every facet, but the thing you love about him, that you can take to the bank, is he’s going to set a dominant edge," Wilkins said. "Any time there’s run at him, he’s knocking that back. He’s playing with great hands, he’s able to shed and make plays, and we saw that all camp. That’s grown from Year One to Year Two to Year Three. He’s always been a great, physical player, but he’s taken it to another level. 

"He’s executing our pressure package at a high level, and he’s improved as a rusher. [When] you get to this Year Three, a guy like Jaylon [Ferguson], that’s sink or swim, and [when] we went down to Carolina, he looked like Michael Phelps. (laughter) He was swimming all over the place, so that was exciting to see. He’s taken that next step.”

Coach Drew Wilkins bringing the @TedLasso references today too 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/tYl1F0W8Ip

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 2, 2021

Houston, who signed with the Ravens during training camp, spends time after practice working with some of the younger linebackers. He shows them different techniques and ways to shed blocks as they try to get to the quarterback.

Houston has registered 444 career tackles (366 solo), 97.5 sacks, 117 tackles for loss, 17 forced fumbles and 13 fumble recoveries over his career. Since he entered the league in 2011, Houston ranks third in both sacks and fumble recoveries among active NFL defenders. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to see him ready to roll Week One," Wilkins said. "He came in here, and he’s a Raven from the jump. He’s always played like a Raven. He plays tough, [and] he runs to the football like he’s a rookie. Obviously, you guys have seen the pass-rush success he’s had over the years, but he’s also a great run player, and he’s great in coverage. Early in his time in Kansas City, he was really their SAM [linebacker], so he had to drop a lot. 

"So, from Day One, he knew what he was doing at that position, as well, and it’s just great to see. He leads by example, first. So, you see that first – that he’s a dominant player; he’s a dominant pass rusher – but then the other great part about it is he wants those other guys to really come along, so he’s helped them tremendously. He has so much knowledge, but he also is generous with that knowledge and his time, and he wants those guys to come along. As a coach, you appreciate that, too."