David Ojabo goes from playing for one Harbaugh to another.
The University of Michigan linebacker was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 45 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
A premier pass rusher with 4.55 speed, Ojabo was a top-20 prospect before tearing his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day on March 19.
Ojabo is a young edge rusher with loads of talent but is vastly inexperienced.
A Nigerian native who also lived in Scotland, Ojabo’s time at Michigan from 2019-2021 showcased huge improvement the more experience he got. The final product was an excellent 2021 campaign in which Ojabo produced 11 sacks and five forced fumbles for the Wolverines and earned second-team All-American honors.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound 21-year-old boasts ideal size for an edge rusher to go with great explosiveness. He’s a raw player still learning and improving, but his physical attributes put him on the radar and are now looming questions due to his injury. They’ll remain until Ojabo returns healthy and proves the doubters wrong.
The Ravens are betting he returns to form, even if that’s not fully in 2022. We’ve seen players injured in the past slide in the draft and become steals for their team (Jeffery Simmons in Tennessee is the latest example). Ojabo's inexperience, coupled with the injury, is likely what slid him into the middle of the second round.
John Harbaugh’s club stopped the athletic edge rusher’s slide. Ojabo will reunite with former Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, who was hired by the Ravens on Jan. 27. The 21-year-old experienced his best college season under Macdonald’s tutelage.
When healthy, Ojabo will pair well with Odafe Oweh to form a dangerously athletic duo in the Ravens front; Baltimore also added to the front seven by selecting Connecticut defensive tackle Travis Jones with the 76th pick.
The Ravens are betting Ojabo will continue to develop under Macdonald and could eventually be the steal of the 2022 draft.