Zach Orr all but locks up ILB job

The second half of the 2015 season saw Zachary Orr emerge as a key part of the improved Ravens pass defense. His explosiveness allowed him to be used as a pass rusher in obvious passing situations with good results, notably against Jacksonville.

In the offseason Myles Jack and Jaylon Smith were thought to be perfect fits for a position that was also thought to be a major need. The Ravens ended up with neither, thus thrusting Orr into the fray.

Orr has answered the call. The pre-season saw him show a 3-down linebacker skill set, with solid open field tackling, splash plays against the run and near spectacular closing speed as shown by his 4 yard loss tackle in the first pre-season game.

Kamalei Correa started on the fast track to win the job but Orr did not relinquish it. His emergence and the fact that he took snaps from the rookie will not hurt the team if packages are devised to have them on the field together in 3-3-5 packages with Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Timmy Jernigan and C.J. Mosley.

Orr's emergence only gives the Ravens more options. It will settle the inside linebacker position for the foreseeable future and allow Correa to focus on the pass rushing aspect of his game. For the Ravens, Orr's play only yields positives.