Ravens' former first round pick has had to be reined in during strong start to training camp

The Baltimore Ravens must be encouraged by what they've seen from Odafe Oweh to start training camp.

A first-round pick in 2021, Oweh is entering a big fourth season to prove his worth as an edge rusher. Oweh has shown flashes of his talent, but hasn't yet put up the counting stats to back it up.

That could be changing this season. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters from training camp on Tuesday that he had to "pull the reins" in on Oweh because he has been blowing up the offense so frequently.

"I had to pull the reins in on him a little bit," Harbaugh said. "He understands, you gotta stay away from the quarterback as much as possible — we don't wanna have any car crashes out there. But he's doing a great job. He's pretty much been in the backfield every play."

Oweh entered the league with immense physical talent, but somewhat raw technique. Through three seasons, he has 13 total sacks, 16 tackles for losses, and 6 forced fumbles.

However, Pro Football Focus graded Oweh as having 40 "hurries" last season, a sign that he puts pressure on opposing offenses.

With Jadeveon Clowney and Patrick Queen leaving in free agency, an opportunity has opened for Oweh to step up and produce a big season for a Ravens team that could use more edge rushers . The Ravens picked up his fifth-year contract option this offseason, a move that shows confidence in Oweh's ability to have a productive year.