The Ravens had one of the best outside linebacker rooms in the NFL this past season.
But with aging veterans, depth and the future in mind, Baltimore could look to add a pass rusher to the mix. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee is set to hit free agency, veterans Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil are over 30 years old, and Baltimore let go of 2013 fourth-round outside linebacker John Simon.
With that in mind, here are notes on the pass rushers at the Senior Bowl:
- Utah's Nate Orchard is impressive. He's very quick off the snap and can bend the edge. He beat one of the top offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, Pittsburgh tackle T.J. Clemmings, with both speed and swim moves.
- The Ted Hendricks Award winner (best college defensive end), said he prefers to work in a 4-3 system, but he showed he can move well in space and stand up. He played a reverse perfectly, staying disciplined and making an open-field tackle. He got an interception later on in practice when he read a screen pass.
- Another Pac-12 standout is Washington's Hau'oli Kikaha. He's got a high motor and is a natural pass rusher who recorded 18 sacks last season. He even held the edge well in Thursday's practice, showing he can do more than just get after quarterbacks.
- Kentucky's Za'Darius Smith definitely looks the part at a toned 6-foot-5, 270 pounds. Like McPhee, he was a junior college standout who transferred into the SEC later in his college career. Smith is a big body inside that can create pressure inside and outside.
- Louisville's Lorenzo Mauldin is another chiseled player who impressed this week. Known more for being a straight-ahead rusher, Mauldin was one of the most impressive outside linebackers in coverage. He had a couple pass breakups during one-on-one drills with running backs.
- The big man on campus, in terms of pure size, was 6-foot-6, 260-pound Norfolk State product Lynden Trail. Besides his height, he didn't do a whole lot to stand out, however.
