After David Ojabo played only two regular-season games last year, the Baltimore Ravens linebacker and head coach John Harbaugh are expecting more from the second-year pro and the defensive unit this season.
Despite some losses on defense, Ojabo believes the Ravens still have enough talent to compete with anyone if they can figure it out in 2023.
"We all feed off each other. ... You just feel it when everybody's clicking," Ojabo told The Lounge Podcast of the team website. "I feel that's what we have in the locker room now. We just gotta put it on paper. Can't talk too much, that's how people get caught up. Don't talk about it, man. When the pads come on, when the lights come on, when it's showtime, go put on a show."
Baltimore has seen veterans Justin Houston, Jason Pierre-Paul, Calais Campbell and Chuck Clark depart. With Ojabo enjoying a healthy offseason heading into training camp, the linebacker must produce at a higher level to help fill the void.
Ojabo, 23, has had a journey that young prospects do not want to encounter when entering the NFL. During his Pro Day at Michigan, Ojabo suffered a torn Achilles. Before that, he had recorded 11 sacks and set a Michigan single-season record with five forced fumbles in 2021, his first year as a starter. Projected as a first-round pick, Ojabo eventually fell into the second round, where the Ravens selected him No. 45 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
When asked about the injury by Baltimore media this offseason and recently on the podcast, Ojabo has made it clear that he's trying to move past it.
"I'm tired of it, man," he said. "It's going to be part of my story but I don't want when they think about Ojabo they think about Achilles or think about injury. … I know it's God's plan, man, so I'm not thinking about it -- 'Man, he lost millions, man, he fell out of the top 10.' Guess what, I'm still playing football. You know I'm going to get what I need to get. So, I'm tired of hearing about the injury and, you know, put it in my past and move forward to get to work."
Ojabo and the Ravens will get back to work when veterans report to training camp on July 25.
