Ravens DC Zach Orr Reveals Surprising Role Mike Green Will Play in Team’s Future Success

Watching a rookie try to carve out his spot in the NFL is always a mixed bag of excitement and uncertainty—especially when you factor in the constraints of spring practices where pads are off and contact is minimal. But here’s what’s buzzing right now: Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator Zach Orr has been genuinely taken by the work ethic and raw talent of their second-round pick, Mike Green. Now, Green isn’t your typical draft story; after a dominant college career leading FBS with 17 sacks at Marshall, his draft stock took a hit due to past off-field allegations. Still, Orr’s observations over recent weeks spark optimism—he sees a player whose knack for getting to the quarterback is very much NFL-caliber. Strong, explosive, versatile on the rush front, Green might just be the kind of disruptive force this Ravens’ defense craves. The real test? Translating that spring promise into game-day production. If he nails that, we could be witnessing one of this year’s draft steals unfolding right before our eyes. LEARN MORE

“I see a guy that comes out here and works, but from a physical standpoint, [Mike Green’s] get-off is real, and he understands the level of the quarterback,” Orr said, via a transcript from the team. “So, I think he’s going to be a really valuable piece for us. He’s strong. He’s explosive. He can rush on the outside, and he can rush on the inside. One thing we always say [is] you can never have enough rushers, and he’s going to add to that room, and it’s going to be a great valuable piece for us, but I’m happy with Mike. I think that he’s doing a good job with what he can do right now, given the restrictions with the pads and everything, but I think [during] training camp and preseason, you guys will really start to see what abilities he really has.”The next step for Green will be showing that Orr is right about how his skills will transition to game action. If they do, there will likely be a lot of talk about him being one of this draft’s biggest steals. Green led FBS players with 17 sacks while playing for Marshall last season, but wound up falling to the Ravens in the second round after facing sexual assault allegations during his time in college. Orr’s seen enough from Green over the last few weeks to believe that Green’s pass rush ability will translate to NFL games. It’s never easy to know exactly what you have in a player during unpadded, non-contact practices in the spring, but Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr has been impressed by what he’s seen from second-round pick Mike Green thus far.