Baltimore Ravens provide update on timetable for David Ojabo's return to field

If not for a torn Achilles suffered on Michigan’s Pro Day, David Ojabo would’ve likely been a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Instead, he fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the second round — and they provided an update on when he can get back on the field.

Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta, who drafted Ojabo as the No. 45 overall pick Friday night, said he thinks Ojabo can play at some point during the 2022 season. He suffered the torn Achilles on March 18, so he won’t be able to at least start the season in September. However, DeCosta said depending on what the doctors say, there’s a chance he’ll wind up seeing some NFL snaps in his rookie year.

“We rely on our doctors and trainers,” DeCosta said, via BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink. “They haven’t seen him since the re-checks and all those things in Indy, but they’re optimistic that at some point this year he’ll have a chance to play.”

Ojabo isn’t the first Raven to have to come back from an Achilles injury. Terrell Suggs and Steve Smith Sr. both did the same thing, which is why this isn’t necessarily uncharted territory for DeCosta and the training staff.

“We’ve had multiple guys that have done it and come back with very, very predictable results,” DeCosta said. “For us, there might be a delay, but we think he’ll come back with a vengeance and play outstanding football.”

Baltimore Ravens select Michigan EDGE David Ojabo in 2022 NFL Draft

David Ojabo won’t be able to play in the NFL right away after tearing his Achilles at his Michigan Pro Day. But that didn’t stop the former Michigan star from going in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ojabo is heading to the Baltimore Ravens as their No. 45 overall pick. He was a force for the Wolverines alongside fellow EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, who went No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions.

Ojabo had 35 tackles and 11.0 sacks, a mark that ranked second on the team behind Hutchinson’s 14.0. They formed a dynamic 1-2 punch for the Wolverines and were two huge reasons why they made the College Football Playoff for the first time.

He tore his Achilles during Michigan’s Pro Day, but experts such as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. didn’t think he’d fall past the early second round in the days leading up to the draft.