Baltimore Ravens select Adisa Isaac in 3rd round of 2024 NFL Draft
The Baltimore Ravens have selected former Penn State EDGE rusher Adisa Isaac in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
After flirting with the idea of declaring for the NFL Draft last year, Isaac ran it back in Happy Valley one more time in 2023, where he set new career highs with 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks — leading the Nittany Lions in both categories. That came after 11 TFLs and 4.0 sacks a year ago.
The fifth-year Nittany Lion, through a career of obstacles overcome, had done more than enough to exemplify the comprehensive qualities of a player prepared to succeed at the next level. Now, he’s getting that opportunity.
Before he enrolled a Penn State, however, Isaac was a highly-touted recruit out of Canarsie in Brooklyn, NY. A four-star recruit, per the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services, he was the No. 122 overall recruit, No. 7 EDGE rusher and the top player in the state of New York.
What NFL analysts are saying about Adisa Isaac
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Isaac’s attributes to that of Chase Winovich, who most recently played EDGE for the Miami Dolphins. Zierlein explained how he sees Isaac translating to the NFL.
“Heady edge prospect combining traits, tools and motor to create playmaking opportunities. Isaac plays with good recognition and awareness of his surroundings both before and after the snap. His snap quickness combines with active hands/feet to help him work his way around blocks at a solid clip. He’s primarily an outside rusher with a decent inside move, but he needs to do a better job of developing counters and learning to work back under at the top of the rush to keep from being redirected.
“The anchoring strength needs improvement to become a more consistent edge setter and rush finisher, but his production, length and motor could eventually earn him a starting job as a 3-4 rush linebacker.”
An AFC regional scout told Zierlein that Isaac is, “a little light but I really like the competitiveness and how he never gives the tackles a break. He’s always through the whistle.”
His strengths include having experience as a team captain, being ultra-decisive with good pre-snap awareness, and having quick hand strikes to allow him to separate from blockers. Zierlein includes his weaknesses as needing to get bigger and stronger in his lower body and producing average contact balance that can hurt his pursuit around the edge.