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The Baltimore Ravens went back to the same well they’ve been at all offseason long; the defensive line. The Ravens added Texas A&M defensive tackle Justin Madubuike with the No. 71 pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Madubuike joins a pretty stacked and downright full defensive line in Baltimore. With the additions of Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe this offseason, it seems pretty clear Madubuike is more of a developmental option for down the road.
Now, that’s not to say Madubuike isn’t good and won’t get meaningful snaps as a rookie. He should rotate in the defensive line in certain packages, helping keep guys like Wolfe and Campbell fresh throughout the season. He was a major producer in his last two years in college with 11 total sacks and 22 tackles for loss, showing he can get the job done.
But he comes to the Ravens a little raw in some ways and could use to learn under the Pro Bowl veterans for a year or two.
Madubuike is a little undersized for a defensive tackle at 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds. He lacks burst and consistency coming off the ball but he’s strong, agile, and uses leverage to his advantage to make up for that. With some time down the depth chart, he’ll get a chance to refine his skills and maybe bulk up a little bit to become a more major contributor and potential replacement for Campbell and Wolfe down the line.
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