Ravens to activate OLBs Tyus Bowser and rookie David Ojabo

Baltimore Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh announced at his media availability Monday that both outside linebackers Tyus Bowser and rookie David Ojabo would be activated this week. The deadline to activate Ojabo and Bowser was Wednesday, where they either are activated to the 53-man roster or be reverted to season-ending injured reserve.

“That’s a fair question, I might as well tell you, they’ll both be activated and available and we’ll see what happens,” Harbaugh said. “I think Tyus will be ready to play, for sure. And really, it kind of comes back to Tyus saying ‘I’m going’, he wants to be mentally ready to go so you can ask him, but I’m kind of counting on him to be honest with you. He’s preparing for this game.”

Though Harbaugh expects Bowser to be playing on Monday, it may be different for Ojabo.

“Ojabo, David’s a little different, he’s a rookie, he also will be ‘possible’ as far as playing in the game Monday night,” Harbaugh said.

Bowser led the Ravens in sacks with seven last season, while Ojabo was considered a potential top-10 pick after a breakout year with the Michigan Wolverines in 2021. Both suffered Achilles’ injuries, Bowsers in January against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ojabo’s in March during his pro-day at Michigan. The Ravens are inching closer to getting their imagined pass rush consisting of Justin Houston, Odafe Oweh, Calais Campbell, Justin Madubuike, Bowser and Ojabo with the help of Broderick Washington and Brent Urban. The Ravens also added Jason Pierre-Paul to their rotation.

With the Ravens having a long week from Thursday Night Football to Monday Night Football, followed by a bye week, the Ravens will have opportunities to assess Ojabo and Bowser in practice and potentially Monday before they start to define how they want to operate their pass rushing rotation into the second half of their season.

As things stand, the Ravens are tied for 5th in the NFL with 23 sacks, however they rank only 15th in sacks per pass attempt defended with 7.42%. Bowser and Ojabo will be welcome additions as the Ravens look to continue generating more pressure against opposing passers.