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With 99 days until the Ravens play their opening matchup against the Cleveland Browns, I figured a brutal daily publishing schedule will keep myself busy and you to enjoy consistent content. This is quite a commitment and I hope to see you all on the other side. Enough about me though, this is Day 99: Matt Judon.
How Judon Became a Raven
A Raven from day one is Judon as the defender was picked by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft (No. 146 overall). He hails from Grand Valley State University and is the eighth player in GVSU history to be drafted into the NFL.
Career as a Raven
Judon has played 62 games for Charm City and has grown and developed into both a star NFL pass rusher and team leader. I consider Judon a blend of the old guard and new era. He’s a defensive physical leader akin to Terrell Suggs while still a youthful player who joins in the social media ribbing.
In his time with Baltimore, he’s stuffed the stat sheet.
Matt Judon career stats
| Player | Games Played | INT | Passes Defended | FF | FR | Sacks | Combined Tackles | TFL | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Games Played | INT | Passes Defended | FF | FR | Sacks | Combined Tackles | TFL | QB Hits |
| Matt Judon | 62 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 28.5 | 186 | 45 | 82 |
2019 Highlights
Contract info
This season, the Ravens and Judon could not land a long-term contract after completion of his four-year entry deal. In the end, the Ravens front office opted to franchise tag the outside linebacker, which secured him into a one-year, $15.82 million deal.
Outlook for 2020
The Ravens defense is particularly loaded with talent in 2020. They held onto their star secondary and paired Judon with multiple pass rushers both on the inside and opposite edge. With the added weapons, Judon will likely face fewer double-teams, similar to his time before Terrell Suggs left Baltimore and signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Even as the main pass rush weapon for the Ravens in 2019, Judon broke his personal best and took down the quarterback 9.5 times. With Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe added into the mix, it’s hard to not expect a minimum of 10 sacks out of Judon in 2020.