Time may be running out for a former Ravens second-round draft pick
He's only 25 years old. It seems he'd be entering his prime years, but instead, a young Baltimore Ravens star is at a crossroads. Time has flown. David Ojabo, a second-round draft choice in 2022, enters the final season of his four-year rookie contract.
His selection followed a stellar final season in Ann Arbor with the Michigan Wolverines. He was named a First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a Second-Team All-American in 2021. That elevated an already rising stock. Baltimore rolled the dice after having already added Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum in Round 1. They worked out. Unfortunately, Ojabo hasn't.
Might this be David Ojabo's last chance to make an impression?
Teams expect first-rounders to be stars, but the meat of NFL rosters is built on Day 2 of every selection meeting. Ojabo's career resume features one start in 18 appearances over three years. 16 tackles, two forced fumbles, and four sacks are the results of his efforts. Needless to say, the Ravens were hoping for more.
Now, there is more to the story. In fairness, he suffered an Achilles tear at his Michigan Pro Day back in 2022. That led to a trip to the injured reserve to begin his rookie season. He was activated in November of that same year, but honestly, he just wasn't ready.
Year two came. He began his sophomore NFL season with three tackles and a sack vs. the Houston Texans while playing 48% of the snaps. More adversity came. Another trip to Baltimore's injured reserve came in September 2023. That ended his second professional campaign after he had only been on the field for a total of three games.
Now, what?
It's 2025. Baltimore enters another season with one of the best rosters they have had on paper in a while. That's saying a lot, given that they've been one of the genuine contenders in the AFC for some time now.
They're loaded at edge rusher. Odafe Oweh, Kyle Van Noy, Adisa Isaac, and Tavius Robinson are the familiar faces. Mike Green is the exciting rookie. That leads to a question. Is there even any room on this roster for David Ojabo?
He'll need to make an impression quickly. This season, he represents a $2.5 million cap hit, but he only counts as $733,022 in dead money if Baltimore releases him. It doesn't sound like someone safe. Keep an eye on him during the final two preseason games because it may be safe to say the former highly-touted rookie may be running out of chances.
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