The Baltimore Ravens have a lot of depth at outside linebacker this year, especially with the signing of Justin Houston. With the veteran’s arrival, it pushed third-year player Jaylon Ferguson to the roster bubble, as he hasn’t shown as much production as anticipated over his first two years in the NFL.
During his 2021 preseason action so far, Ferguson has stepped up to the plate and put his name right into the conversation for not only a roster spot, but a decently sized role on Baltimore’s defense. When asked about how learning from Justin Houston has impacted him, Ferguson pointed out a number of veterans who have helped him grow.
“…Between him, Pernell [McPhee], Tyus Bowser, even Calais Campbell – he helped me out – Derek Wolfe, especially, because he’s got the ferocity inside, but he’s still got all the moves … Just being with guys like that, I’m learning not to look at, so much, physical stuff, [but to look at] little keys, like which way they’re moving, which way they’re leaning, pre-snap stuff to help me. Before, I would just look at a player, just thinking that I can beat him by myself.”
Not only have the veterans helped Ferguson from a technical point of view, but also from a mentality standpoint. Houston, McPhee, Campbell, Wolfe and others have a plethora of valuable NFL experience that can help younger players like Ferguson flourish, and the third-year defender is seemingly taking advantage of the information and secrets that he’s been given by the veterans on the roster.