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Once again, the Ravens are looking to a Penn State product at edge, selecting Adisa Isaac with their third-round pick in the NFL draft, three years after they drafted his friend and former teammate Odafe Oweh in the first round.
Oweh helped recruit Isaac to Penn State, where he stayed for five years.
“We’re real tight,” Isaac said. “He was a great big brother to me, coming into Penn State. ... So for now, for it to come full circle, it’s a very unique situation.”
Isaac, team captain for the Nittany Lions, was a redshirt senior who was voted to the All-Big Ten first team by the media and second team by coaches after finishing the season with 37 tackles (23 solo), 16 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
He won the team’s Reid-Robinson Award, which goes to the most outstanding defensive lineman, along with Chop Robinson, whom the Miami Dolphins selected in the first round. Robinson, a Maryland native, was attempting to call Isaac while Isaac spoke to the Baltimore media via Zoom.
“I had to decline his call; I’ll call him back after,” Isaac said with a grin. “But I’m pretty sure he’s definitely excited I’m in his hometown. ... It’s a great day; it’s a great day.”
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A 6-foot-4, 254-pound edge, Isaac was ranked 66th on Wide Left’s consensus big board. However, Patrick McDonough, the Ravens’ Northeast college scout, gave Isaac his red star, which means he believes Isaac has extraordinary qualities. Every scout has one red star to give each year.
So it was a bargain, at least in their eyes, for the Ravens to get him at 93.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta got an early look at Isaac. His daughter goes to Penn State, and he went to Happy Valley for the first football game of the year, a 38-15 win over West Virginia. However, DeCosta saw plenty more of him on film — but not Isaac’s own film.
Coming into the draft, the Ravens needed an offensive lineman, which they got by selecting Roger Rosengarten in the second round. That required DeCosta to watch hours of film on offensive linemen, and as he watched tape from the Big Ten, Isaac kept showing up, “wreaking havoc,” as DeCosta put it.
“What I like about him is he’s got great length, which is a critical factor,” DeCosta said. “He’s got heavy hands. He’s got some different moves. He’s got speed, quickness, and I think he’s tenacious. And so I think all of those things, when we think about our best pass rushers, I think those are a lot of the traits those guys have.”
Isaac has good awareness that he pairs with a strong motor to create plays from the outside. He needs to add moves to his repertoire and to attack on the inside more, but the Ravens have faith in their pass rush coach, Chuck Smith. Under Smith, almost every outside linebacker on the Ravens’ roster has seen marked improvement, including fellow Penn Stater Oweh, which is something DeCosta said factors into their drafting.
It’s something that factors into Isaac’s excitement, as well.
“I’ve heard a lot about him throughout my college career,” Isaac said. “I’ve always heard the name Chuck Smith, Chuck Smith. ... I’m just excited to learn.”
Isaac also plans to steal things from Oweh’s game. He said the two always competed hard against each other, and he’s excited to restart that friendly competition.
“Dafe’s a hell of a player,” Isaac said. “Just taking certain things from his game, seeing how he approaches tackles, uses his hands, just taking certain moves from him that I feel can fit in my toolbox. We have a similar skill set.”
DeCosta pointed out that Isaac consistently produced last season. He knows how to use his hands well, according to PFF, and he has good leverage despite being relatively light. He needs to build size and strength, as do many players at his position when they come out of college, but DeCosta compared his production at the college level to Jadeveon Clowney’s for the Ravens last year. Clowney had the second-most sacks on the team (9.5) behind defensive lineman Justin Madubuike.
The veteran outside linebacker saw a career resurgence while on his one-year contract in Baltimore. His departure for the Carolina Panthers in free agency left a big hole in the Ravens pass rush. But, even if he’d stayed, his age would have meant the Ravens would have had long-term needs at the position.
By re-signing Kyle Van Noy in free agency, the Ravens alleviated some of their immediate need on the edge. He was their second-most-productive outside linebacker behind Clowney, but he too is a veteran in his 30s.
The also have Oweh, who improved last season but has yet to reach his potential, and David Ojabo, whom they had high expectations for before he suffered a season-ending injury. However, both are question marks. If they reach their potential, the Ravens will be dangerous at this position, but neither has proven himself.
Oweh is also heading into the final year of his contract. The Ravens announced an extension for wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who was also on the verge of free agency, but have yet to announce anything regarding Oweh. They have until May 2 to exercise his fifth-year option.
The Ravens re-signed Malik Harrison to a one-year deal, which provides solid rotational depth, but he isn’t exactly a Clowney replacement. Tavius Robinson could also turn into a contributor but isn’t on track to be a starter.
The Ravens expect Isaac to contribute right away, even if it’s as a rotational player and not a starter. That will give them both immediate depth and talent to cultivate for the future. And Isaac is ready to get to work, not afraid to go against the best in his first year.
“I need that [Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick] Mahomes sack,” Isaac said. “And I need that [Buffalo Bills’] Josh Allen sack.”
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Giana Han is a Ravens beat reporter from Howard County.
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