When the Baltimore Ravens drafted Timmy Jernigan in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft, the move was met with some surprise. Even Jernigan was surprised when it happened, admitting that he had an informal meeting at the scouting combine with the Ravens but not much other contact.
The move was seen as a luxury pick at the time. The Ravens already had a strong defensive line heading into the 2014 season. Yes, Arthur Jones had just left for Indianapolis in free agency, but the defensive line and its rotation players were held mostly intact with a starting group of Chris Canty, Haloti Ngata, and Brandon Williams.
Jernigan had dropped in the draft due to a failed drug test, which scared off most other teams besides Baltimore. For the Ravens, Timmy Jernigan was just too good to pass up. At the time, most people believed that this pick was another example of Baltimore taking the best player available.
In many ways it was. Ozzie proves year after year that he will not reach for a need and will try to find the best value with all of his picks. Having said that, it’s not hard to imagine the Ravens seeing Jernigan on the board, looking at Haloti Ngata’s contract in the 2015 season, and trying to protect the team’s future cap space.
The Ravens drafted Timmy Jernigan, in part, as a contingency plan for Haloti Ngata.
By drafting Timmy Jernigan last year, the Ravens were able to give him a season to prove himself and acclimate to the NFL. And prove himself he did. Jernigan had 23 tackles and 4.0 sacks in 12 games last year. At the end of the season, when Ngata had been suspended for the use of Adderall, Jernigan shined. He had 2 sacks in that four game stretch and made plays all over the field. In the games Jernigan started, he allowed fans to get in at least one South Park style, “Timala TIMMAY!” per game (unofficial stat).
Timmy Jernigan has drawn comparisons to Cincinnati Bengals DT Geno Atkins. They are both somewhat undersized for the defensive tackle position. Jernigan is listed as 6’2” and 300 lbs., while Atkins checks in at 6’1” and 303 lbs. Atkins is known for making plays in the backfield and Jernigan has a similar knack to wreak havoc behind the line of scrimmage. Three seasons of Atkins career have resulted in him notching 6.0 sacks or more, with a career best of 12.5 coming in 2012. Playing the Bengals twice a year, Raves fans know how much of a headache Atkins can cause.
Haloti Ngata will undoubtedly be missed for a multitude of reasons. Ngata consistently demanded a double team and he was a constant headache for opposing offensive coordinators. Teams had to always account for Haloti, which allowed his teammates to get free to make a play. Ngata is a remarkable athlete for his size and had an uncanny ability to get his hand on the football to make a play to bat it down (sometimes even for an interception). Ngata’s pursuit was second to none among interior lineman and allowed him to make plays several yards past the line of scrimmage.
Timmy Jernigan has some big shoes to fill, but it won’t just be up to him to make up for the loss of Ngata. It will take a team effort, especially since Baltimore’s defensive coordinator Dean Pees loves to rotate his lineman in and out of the game. The Ravens will hope that Kapron Lewis-Moore and Brent Urban will come back strong from season ending injuries. The continued development of Brandon Williams (who is already a beast) will aid in replacing Ngata next season as well. The resigning of Chris Canty was critical to help the continuity of the defensive line and provide leadership for a relatively young position group.
The biggest gem of these players, however, could be Timmy Jernigan.
