It’s been long thought the Baltimore Ravens got first round talent in the second round when they drafted Marshall edge rusher Mike Green.
It’s something they’ve already begun to see as the team barrels toward the start of preseason games, and the result is they might have found their next great defensive player.
Green earned some praise from Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr on July 26 after the first few days of training camp and the team transition into fully-padded practices.
“Mike just comes in and works, man,” Orr told Baltimore’s Fox 5 News on July 26. “He’s a smart player and hard worker … he doesn’t really say much until he’s out here on the field and has to communicate. Right now he’s an outside backer and front guy … he’s been assignment sound but it’s gonna crank up next week (in pads) and we’re really looking forward to seeing him in that.”
Off-Field Issues Dropped Green to Second Round
Most mock drafts had Green projected as a first round pick in 2025 but off field issues caused him to slip to the Ravens with the No. 59 overall pick.
Green led the FBS with 17.0 sacks in 2024 and led Marshall to its first Sun Belt Conference championship. He was masterful from beginning to end, with sacks in 10 out of 13 games and 4 multi-sack games.
Green, 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds, played the first 2 seasons of his college career at Virginia before he transferred to Marshall for his last 2 seasons, with 43 tackles and 4.5 sacks in 2023 before his breakout year in 2024.
The Ravens came under fire for picking Green, who was accused of sexual assault in both high school and college but never charged with any crimes.
“Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta defended selecting Marshall edge rusher Mike Green in the second round of the NFL draft Friday, saying they took him with the No. 59 pick after investigating two sexual assault allegations in his past,” ESPN’s Jamison Hensley wrote on April 26. “At the NFL combine in February, Green said that he was accused of sexual assault at Virginia, leading to his transfer to Marshall, and that he had faced another sexual assault allegation in high school. Green was never charged and insisted he did nothing wrong.”
Ravens Already Had Elite NFL Defensive Unit
Adding Green, 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, might just be a case of the rich getting richer as the Ravens already have one of the NFL’s elite defensive units — they finished second in the NFL with 54.0 sacks in 2024.
“High-energy pass rusher with productivity and a method of play that should translate to the next level,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Green displays a natural and instinctive rush, utilizing loose hips and a series of moves and counters that can open doors with force or finesse. He’s very physical, with notes of violence in the way he attacks blockers in both phases. His explosiveness allows him to penetrate gaps, play around or through the protection edges and change direction quickly to finish in the backfield … Teams might wish he were heavier and longer but he’s willful, skilled and powerful with the ability to create enormous matchup concerns as an edge rusher on the next level.”
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