BALTIMORE — The Ravens drafted Michigan’s David Ojabo with the No. 45 overall pick Friday night, reuniting first-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald with one of the draft’s most talented pass rushers.
Ojabo was expected to be a mid-first-round pick before he tore his Achilles tendon at Michigan’s pro day, an injury that’s expected to delay his NFL debut. Instead, he fell to Baltimore in the middle of the second round.
After not playing as a freshman and getting only reserve duty in 2020, Ojabo teamed with Aidan Hutchinson to form one of the country’s best pass-rushing tandems under Macdonald, then the Wolverines’ coordinator. Ojabo finished with 11 sacks and five forced fumbles. While he has elite pass-rushing potential, he has room for growth as a run defender.
Born in Nigeria, Ojabo moved to Scotland with his family in 2007. At New Jersey’s Blair Academy, he befriended Odafe Oweh, who blossomed at Penn State before becoming a first-round pick of the Ravens last season.
“They’re all trying to get to know me, trying to get to know who I am as a player,” Ojabo said at the NFL scouting combine in February. “I’m a Scottish guy born in Nigeria and just trying to learn — learn this new sport and just be the best at it, honestly. … I’m sure they see [potential]. I’m here. I got myself here. So I’m sure they see something.”
The pass rush was a priority for the Ravens entering the draft. Tyus Bowser is recovering from an Achilles tendon injury himself, though he could be ready for the season opener.
