The Baltimore Ravens will be counting on their young outside linebacker depth to step up after Tavius Robinson's season-ending pectoral injury.
The fourth-year defender occupied a 72% defensive snap share to start the season (46.6 per game) while also contributing to the kick return, punt return, and field goal block teams. He leads the defense with 3.5 sacks and the edge rusher room with 18 tackles, leaving a sizable void to be filled. Here are Baltimore Beatdown's take on replacing Robinson:
Rookies Zion Young and Ethan Burke have the physical profile to step up in Robinson's absence, but more than anything, the Ravens need Mike Green to figure out how to rush the passer off the left side of the defense. He spent plenty of time there in college, but has lined up on the blind side more often in Baltimore with better splits. Based on his film, he's still getting the feel for transitioning from his explosive first step into his pass rush moves. Green clearly has the athleticism and skillset to make it work, but he has to do so quickly. If not, Eric DeCosta may have to scour the trade market for another edge rusher who can win on third down.
The Ravens have a big role to fill with Tavius Robinson going down for the season. T-Rob was an every down player, setting the edge, getting to the quarterback and capable of sliding inside with power. While Ethan Burke has done well in his limited action and more is expected to come, and Kaimon Rucker and Adisa Isaac could get snaps of the practice squad, the best answer is Zion Young. Young presents a very similar play style to Robinson, an excellent edge setter with grown-man NFL play strength to be able to slide inside. While he hasn't shown the pass rush chops like Robinson, who has 3.5 sacks in 6 games, Young will be the first, next man up and get the biggest uptick in snaps. The real answer will be the Ravens trading for Khalil Mack, but we'll have to see if the Ravens can play themselves into a spot to justify a move like that at the deadline.
The Ravens will need their second-round rookie, Zion Young, to step up and help to fill the role left behind by Tavius Robinson. Young's profile is similar to Robinson's, as both are power rushers who are strong run defenders on the edge. The rookie will likely have to take on a lot more snaps than originally envisioned, but throwing him into the deep end now could hopefully produce results for the talented linebacker sooner rather than later. Baltimore will likely need to add another body to the mix, whether that be via a practice squad call up, free agency, or through a trade before the deadline, but Young is the most obvious replacement on the current roster.
Now, it's your turn! Which Raven are you expecting to step up after Tavius Robinson's injury? Let us know in the comments section below!
