Right Before Our Very Eyes!
There was a day during the 2021 training camp when I wasn’t exactly sure what I was seeing on the Ravens’ practice field.
Standing next to fellow RSR writer Adam Bonaccorsi on one of those stifling, muggy dog days of summer, the two of us started chuckling about defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. The then-second-year player was coming off a promising rookie season, and he was absolutely destroying the Ravens’ offensive line. He was having an impressive camp already, generating praise from local and national writers alike (Peter King of NBC Sports predicted Madubuike would finish third in the Defensive Player of the Year voting), but this was different. He was basically killing practice. The Ravens offense couldn’t run a rep because of the athletic lineman.
Granted, it was training camp. And, yes, that offensive line last year showed to be only slightly more effective than setting out a pile of over-cooked pasta to front the Ravens’ offense last season. But Madubuike was simply lighting it up — it was hard for anybody who was watching it transpire not to get a little excited.
But the excitement quieted down pretty quickly when the games that counted started.
Madubuike finished off his impressive rookie campaign with a PFF score of 70.3. He didn’t light the world on fire, but he was also fighting for snaps inside with established veterans like Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and Derek Wolfe. When given opportunities, he stood out in a positive way. That second year was different. His PFF score sank to 56.6, and he generated two sacks and seven tackles for loss in 15 games. Needless to say, he did not finish in the top three when the votes were counted for top defensive player in the league.
But four games into this season, the pivotal third of his career, Madubuike has been playing like the best player on the Ravens defense. That PFF score? A hefty 83.6 — which paces the team. He has four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and has been a general pain in the posterior of opposing offenses. If his current pace continues, Madubuike would post six-plus sacks and about 17 tackles for loss. That is upper-echelon production statistically.
But it’s more than just numbers, as football often is. He has shown an ability to slip through gaps in opposing offensive lines, and uses his quick feet to accelerate into the backfield. While I thought he struggled at points last season using his athleticism to convert to power, he seems to be excelling in that this year, propelling himself into the shoulders of opponents with force and turning them to the side to create his own gap.
Plus, Madubuike has been equally good against the run and the pass, allowing himself to be an every-snap player. His PFF scores are 79.3 against the run and 78.6 in pass-rush. That is the kind of well-rounded player that allows coordinators to be more creative in other parts of the front seven, knowing Madubuike can handle his responsibilities alone.
It might be a year later than many of us expected, but it appears Madubuike has arrived.
His future only looks to get brighter with more reps and coaching.
