The Ravens are suddenly looking for answers on the edge after Tavius Robinson went down for the season with a pectoral injury, and the ripple effect is obvious. Robinson had been a steady part of Baltimore’s front, logging a 72% defensive snap share to open the year - 46.6 per game - while also handling work on kick returns, punt returns and field goal block units.
He was also producing. Robinson leads the defense with 3.5 sacks and tops the edge rusher group with 18 tackles, which leaves Baltimore with a real hole to patch at outside linebacker.
Among the options already in the building, Zion Young keeps coming up as the cleanest fit. Young, a second-round rookie, has the kind of frame and play style that matches Robinson’s: sturdy against the run, strong enough to set the edge and capable of sliding inside with power. The knock is simple - he has not yet shown Robinson’s pass-rush finish, but the Ravens may need him to absorb a much larger workload than anyone originally planned.
Ethan Burke is also in the mix. He has flashed in limited action and, as one take put it, “more is expected to come.”
Nikhil Mehta pointed to both Burke and rookie Zion Young as players with the physical tools to help, but stressed that the bigger key is Mike Green finding his footing rushing the passer from the left side. Green spent plenty of time there in college, yet Baltimore has used him on the blind side more often because of better splits.
The challenge now is turning that early burst into actual pass-rush wins.
As Mehta put it, “Based on his film, he’s still getting the feel for transitioning from his explosive first step into his pass rush moves.” He added that Green has the athleticism to make it work, but “he has to do so quickly.” If that doesn’t happen, Mehta suggested Eric DeCosta may need to look outside the building for another edge rusher who can win on third down.
Zach Canter also landed on Young as the first real next-man-up option. He described Robinson as an every-down player who could set the edge, rush the quarterback and slide inside with power, and said Young brings a similar play style. Canter also noted that Kaimon Rucker and Adisa Isaac could get snaps from the practice squad, while Ethan Burke has already shown well in limited work.
Dustin Cox reached the same conclusion on Young, calling him the most obvious replacement on the current roster. He said Baltimore will probably need another body in the mix, whether that comes from the practice squad, free agency or a trade before the deadline.
The only question is how far the Ravens want to go to patch the spot. Canter floated one extreme answer - “The real answer will be the Ravens trading for Khalil Mack” - but even he acknowledged that such a move would depend on where Baltimore stands at the deadline.
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