The Baltimore Ravens might have thought they had an intriguing prospect in 6-foot-6, 370-pound defensive lineman C.J. Okoye at some point in the recent past.
With a new head coach in 2026 with Jesse Minter and an entirely new coaching staff, Okoye is being re-evaluated after playing in 13 games in 2025 â his 1st NFL games â and patience could be running out, according to Ebony Bird’s Connor Burke.
“Ultimately, while Okoye is coming off a season where he saw a good number of reps along the defensive front, most, if not all of those, could disappear in 2026,” Burke wrote on June 20. “He needs to take some strides during training camp and preseason if he wants a realistic shot at making the practice squad. He’s still a fascinating project since he remains relatively new to the sport, but for a player turning 25 this year, that project label may be losing its luster.”
Minter Already Turned Back on C.J. Okoye
There’s 1 way of reasoning that shows us Minter may have already made up his mind that Okoye doesn’t fit with his defense.
Okoye spent the 1st 2 years of his NFL career with the Los Angeles Chargers, including 1 season in 2024 with Minter as the defensive coordinator â a season in which Minter never made a move to put Okoye on the regular-season roster.
The path to the NFL for Okoye has never been traditional. Born and raised in Nigeria, Okoye came to football via an NFL Africa Camp, which got him sent to the NFL International Combine in London, which got him into the NFL International Player Pathway Program, which got him to IMG Academy to train, which is where he became 1 of 8 international players allocated to NFL teams.
Ravens Have Uncertainty on Interior Defensive Line
If we are going to identify 1 thing Okoye has going for him, it’s the uncertainty the Ravens have had on the interior defensive line for the last year.
Almost all of that uncertainty centers around $98 million NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2 of the 2025 regular season, and there is still no timetable set for his return.
One thing the Ravens have done to try to prepare themselves for another season without Madubuike is bring back 40-year-old defensive lineman Calais Campbell, whom they signed to a 1-year contract on April 30.
Campbell previously played for the Ravens from 2020 to 2022.
âSix-time Pro-Bowl DE Calais Campbell, who played in Baltimore from 2020-2022, is returning to sign a one-year deal with the Ravens, per source,â ESPNâs Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account. âCampbell will turn 40 on Sept. 1 and this will be his 19th NFL season ⦠hereâs how long Calais Campbell has been performing at a high level: He was voted to the NFLâs 2010 All-Decade team.â
Campbell, who is also a 4-time NFL All-Pro, was a 2nd round pick (No. 5o overall) by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2008 NFL draft. He played for the Cardinals again in 2025, with 6.5 sacks. He has $150.6 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
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