An already strong roster bolstered by some select but shrewd spending in free agency, means the Baltimore Ravens don’t need to trade for extra picks ahead of the 2025 NFL draft, but that could change if teams come calling about an “above average” edge-rusher.
General manager Eric DeCosta isn’t above stockpiling extra draft capital, and he could view Odafe Oweh as a viable trade asset before Thursday, April 24. That’s the view from Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus, who believes Oweh’s “a name to keep an eye on in that group for trade purposes.”
Locker’s reasoning is based upon a belief that “while Oweh has been above average as both a pass rusher and a run defender, his play might not warrant a lucrative extension. The Ravens could face a crossroads with the 26-year-old heading into the draft.”
Dealing Oweh before the draft would represent something of an about turn from the Ravens. They picked up his fifth-year option last season and watched Oweh log double-digit sacks in a season for the first time in his career.
There may be a temptation to cash in on a player on the rise, but it would be a risk for the Ravens with Oweh. The risk concerns the age of the team’s primary edge-rusher, along with a lack of plausible other options bookending the front seven.
Ravens Face Tricky Decision About Odafe Oweh
Oweh’s breakout campaign of sorts in 2024 complicates how the Ravens see his future. He refined his technique as a pass-rusher and played well enough to justify praise from an eight-time Pro Bowler.
Endorsement of Oweh’s progress was also provided by 48 total pressures, 24 hurries and 14 quarterback hits, per PFF. Oweh deployed a more varied rush plan and became consistently disruptive.
In doing so, the 26-year-old gave himself options. The first is for Oweh to emerge as the focal point of the Ravens’ pressure schemes.
DeCosta would likely prefer it since he’d get the plaudits for a homegrown player he drafted maturing into a star and playing his prime years in Baltimore. Oweh continuing to step up would also ease the reliance on last season’s team sack leader, 33-year-old Kyle Van Noy.
The latter proved Pro Bowl voters wrong, but there’s no obvious successor to the 11-year pro. Not when the Ravens are still waiting on 2022 second-round pick David Ojabo to stay healthy and get onto the field more often.
Problems like these mean the Ravens might have to pay Oweh a year from now. Provided they have the space under the salary cap.
Time to Look for Draft Contingency
The Ravens rank 26th in the league for cap space, according to Spotrac.com. Projections for next year have them 20th.
It stands to reason there won’t be much money at DeCosta’s disposal. He’s already paying premiums to two-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and his All-Pro blindside protector, left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
More expensive payouts are on the horizon, with another All-Pro predicted to reset the market. Adding in a big bucks deal for Oweh may be too rich for the Ravens, so DeCosta would be smart to draft a contingency this year.
Prospects like Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. or Marshall’s Mike Green fit the bill as potential candidates for the 27th-overall selection. Either one would give the Ravens cover in the event Oweh builds on last season and prices himself into the top end of 2026 NFL free agency.
Or even if Oweh flops and leaves the Ravens needing a complete refresh on the edges.
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