The Baltimore Ravens aren’t content with drafting Mike Green to improve their pass rush and have added a disruptive edge defender in free agency after receiving some news about oft-injured outside linebacker David Ojabo.
Former University of North Carolina defensive end Kaimon Rucker signed with the Ravens on Tuesday, May 13. His arrival was confirmed by Ravens.com Editorial Assistant Matt Ryan, who also confirmed the team was “awarded an international exemption for outside linebacker David Ojabo, who was born in Nigeria. The exemption means Ojabo won’t count towards Baltimore’s 90-man roster.”
The Ravens are still waiting for Ojabo to live up to the billing as a second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Green has the same status, but Rucker will also add some youthful energy to an edge-rusher rotation still fronted by 34-year-old Kyle Van Noy.
Unfortunately, Rucker will need to overcome his own health concerns before proving he can make the grade in the pros.
Ravens Taking a Chance on Highly Productive Edge-Rusher
Rucker broke his leg during his final year with the Tar Heels, and that surely did more than anything else to prevent him from getting drafted. There was nothing wrong with his production, not when he logged “14.5 sacks over the last two seasons, including six in eight games during the 2024 season,” according to Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder.
Most of those sacks were due to what The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs called a high “rush IQ and low center of gravity running the loop.” Those things give Rucker “an opportunity to earn snaps in a role-specific situation.”
He showed off his pass-rushing prowess during a three-sack, seven-pressures splash game against Virginia in 2024, highlighted by The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler.
The Ravens handing Rucker a contract shows they are confident about the state of his leg. They are also apparently comfortable with the 23-year-old’s 6-foot-1 height.
Shorter pass-rushers have had success in Baltimore before, notably Pro Bowler Elvis Dumervil. Rucker can join some select company if his core rush skills translate well to a higher level.
If he can make the switch, Rucker will also increase the pressure on Ojabo to stick on the roster.
David Ojabo Facing Uphill Battle
Tearing his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day before he was drafted put a hurdle in Ojabo’s career development he’s since struggled to clear. A torn ACL wrecked his second season in Week 3, while Ojabo was overlooked even when healthy at times in 2024.
Ojabo’s unsuccessful search for durability and consistency has stretched the Ravens’ resources out on the edge. The depth chart was reinforced when Green slid to them with the 59th-overall pick.
Green led college football with 17.5 sacks last season, so he should quickly mix in with Van Noy and Odafe Oweh. The latter will be a free agent in 2026, so there’s room for another versatile and active edge-rusher.
It could still be Ojabo, but Rucker has as much positional upside to be a factor in this scheme. That upside comes from his fit for a 3-4 defense, because he’s “predominantly worked from a 2-point stance and as a wide-angled rusher,” according to Crabbs.
Whether Rucker makes the roster or not, it’s clear the Ravens will explore every option to expand their pass rush room.
