Mike Green, an explosive edge rusher who led the FBS with 17 sacks at Marshall, was selected by Baltimore in the second round (59th pick overall) in the NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-3, 251-pound Green had a breakout season in 2024, using his speed and athletic ability to produce 84 tackles, including 23 for loss.
He will have a chance to contribute immediately in Baltimore's outside linebacker rotation, which is led by Kyle Van Noy, Odafe Oweh and Tavius Robinson.
Widely projected as a first-round pick, Green told reporters at the NFL Combine that there have been two allegations of sexual assault against him, both of which he denied. Green also said that he'd never been charged.
The Combine revelation was the first time that Green, who was dismissed from the Virginia football team in September of 2022, publicly spoke about the nature of his departure.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said the Ravens "investigated this situation very thoroughly" and felt comfortable selecting Green.
"We've got the best scouts in the NFL," DeCosta said. "We've got great scouts that go into Virginia, they go into Marshall. We've got people that work for us investigating different instances with players all the time.
"We understand the severity of what these allegations were, of course. But doing our due diligence, we are comfortable with Mike. I personally spent an hour and a half with him in my office. I think the best is yet to come with him, and glad we got him."
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had Green ranked as his 21st-overall player and third-highest ranked pass rusher.
"He fell here not because of anything you see on the football field," Jeremiah said. "He is talented and he is productive; he is a very gifted player. There was some off the field stuff that surfaced at Virginia, and that was something I think led to his slide here. But this is a twitchy, explosive edge rusher who plays with tenacity, effort and chase."
DeCosta said many decisions regarding the draft are difficult, and that numerous factors are considered before each pick is made.
Green was shown on television becoming emotional when receiving the phone call that the Ravens had selected him.
"I think he was relieved, looks like he has a beautiful, wonderful family supporting him," DeCosta said.
Head Coach John Harbaugh said Green's talent was obvious when watching the tape, and that he expects him to make an immediate impact.
"They first thing that jumped out at me was his motor," Harbaugh said. "He's a relentless player, definitely a guy the plays the way our fans like to watch football played. He plays like a guy who really cares. He comes off the ball, he's very physical, and he does not stop playing until the final whistle. The football IQ, the football character is very high.
"He's a guy who's going to come in here Day 1 and he's going to make a mark. It's going to be exciting. … These first two defensive guys (Malaki Starks and Green), you're going to notice them. He really wants to make the most of this opportunity. And he's very grateful for the opportunity."
