Inside linebacker is arguably the Ravens' thinnest and youngest position. Patrick Onwuasor leads the group as the most veteran player with only 4 seasons under his belt. Yet to address it through free agency, the Ravens look to head into mandatory minicamp with three active players from last year: Onwuasor, Chris Board and Kenny Young. Two of which are free agents who have carried on the long tradition of undrafted rookie inside linebackers making a name on the Ravens. Although the group is relatively inexperienced, the Ravens have had a great history of cultivating talent at the position.
Bart Scott, Dannell Ellerbe, Jameel McClain and Zach Orr are all former Ravens who made a name for themselves in the hot days of training camp football to secure a spot on the roster and build solid legacies as Ravens defenders. With that in mind it would be foolish to overlook this years rookie free agents at the position. Without further ado, here are the rookies who could be Baltimore's future defensive anchors
Otaro Alaka
Height: 6'3 Weight: 239lbs
College: Texas A&M
Alaka's film shows him to be a sure tackler and intelligent defender. He shows good play recognition ability and quickly identifies gaps in the run game. From his Sophomore to Senior year Alaka started in the middle of the Aggie defense and became a leader on the team. Alaka shows great discipline, sticks with his assignments on defense and doesn't jump the gun or get baited easily. Alaka has great chemistry with fellow Raven rookie Daylon Mack as the two played on the same Aggie defense and became well known within the team for their banter and chemistry during games.
Alaka had put together good seasons in both his Junior and Senior year. As a Junior he recorded 78 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble. He finished his college career as a Senior with 79 tackles, 4 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Bleacher Report labeled Alaka as a strong interior run supporter but he could struggle in the NFL when playing in space.
E.J. Ejiya
Height: 6'1 Weight: 236lbs
College: North Texas
Ejiya was a three year starter as a WILL linebacker in North Texas' 3-4 defense. He really ramped up his production in his last two seasons with the team tallying 108 tackles and 7 sacks and 121 tackles and 9 sacks respectively. Despite those numbers, NFL scouting reports have graded him a below average tackler. He has shown some play-making ability in splitting through weak side gaps to get in the backfield and get after the quarterback. His film shows him to be a player who chases down the play until the whistle. Ejiya is a high-motor player that could make his name in special teams play which is always a great way to impress John Harbaugh for a spot on the team. That will probably be his likely route to an NFL roster as he only projects as a camp body with the upside as an NFL special-teamer. But who are we nerds with laptops to predict the fate of athletes.
Silas Stewart
Height: 6'3 Weight: 228 lbs
College: Incarnate Word
From film alone, Stewart looks longer and leaner than the other two linebackers and has the frame of the more modern linebacker who can cover sideline to sideline. On film he looks more exciting than the previous two players but his resume doesn't make him stand out as much. He played his first two years of ball at the JUCO level where he recorded 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks with 9 passes broken up as a Sophomore. He then transferred to Incarnate Word, an FCS division one school, where he was a backup his Junior year but came on in 2018 with his best year in college. Stewart's numbers got a huge boost with 94 total tackles (54 solo), 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble receptions, 3 interceptions and 4 broken up passes as a Senior.
Stewart is the most unproven but also the most exciting out of the bunch. He looked like a man among boys in his senior year tape and it will be intriguing to see him play against a much higher level of competition. He looks extremely fluid and comfortable dropping back in coverage and also has great speed in closing distance in pass rush and outside runs. His athleticism and dynamic ability make him the most likely to be an impact player out of this group of rookies.
However, he will need to bulk up a little to hold his own against bigger NFL bodies. Stewart definitely won't be used to plug running holes and could get run over by bigger NFL backs. His skill set definitely leans toward being a coverage linebacker, and a pretty good one at that if he adjusts to the NFL speed. NFL scouting reports laud his coverage ability and ability to close distance. He could be a plug-in on passing downs as well as a special-teamer on kickoffs and punts but his size could hurt him in the early going until he can add some weight. Regardless, he would be my name to watch for out of this group in the preseason.
The Ravens also round out the position group with second year players Alvin Jones and Mathew Thomas. Jones was on the preseason roster last year but failed to make the team and Thomas recorded a few tackles with the Steelers last year as a backup.
Training camp is right around the corner and it will be exciting to see which of these rookies rises to the occasion. Or will the Ravens look to adding a veteran late in free agency.
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