Baltimore Ravens: 5 Young Defensive Studs Ready to Take the Torch

The Baltimore Ravens have suffered some setbacks on the defensive side of the ball heading into the 2012 NFL season, but luckily for the franchise there are several young players on the roster ready to take the torch.

Terrell Suggs, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, recently tore his Achilles and won't be available at all during the course of the season. Linebacker Ray Lewis is currently in the twilight of his career at 37 years old and it is unclear if safety Ed Reed will play at all this year.

Losing an MVP-caliber player and a future Hall of Famer would spell the end of competitiveness for most franchises in the NFL.

But not in Baltimore. The Ravens’ front office has done an excellent job of reloading, not rebuilding. 
Here are five young defensive studs ready to take the torch in Baltimore:

Lardarius Webb

Lardarius Webb is one of the rising stars in the NFL, and for good reason. The Baltimore Ravens selected Webb in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft and since then he has developed into one of the best corners in all of football.

Last season Webb had an outstanding year, recording 67 tackles and intercepting five passes. His continued development earned him a six-year, $52 million contract this offseason.

Someone in the secondary will have to take over if Ed Reed can’t return next season. Webb is now more than capable of leading the secondary on his own.

Paul Kruger

With the injury to Terrell Suggs, someone is going to have to step up and replace his production from a year ago. Paul Kruger is one of those players. 

Kruger won’t record 14 sacks this season like Suggs did last year, but he will most certainly make up part of that number. Last season Kruger quietly recorded 5.5 sacks. 

Kruger has continued to develop into the player the Baltimore Ravens need him to be. He uses his natural strength and athleticism to get to opposing quarterbacks with increasing regularity. Playing on such a talented defense hasn’t hurt Kruger, but now is his chance to step out on his own and apply what he has learned. 

Courtney Upshaw

Courtney Upshaw was a second-round selection by the Baltimore Ravens in this year’s draft thanks to his elite skill set as a pass-rusher.

Upshaw is a freakish athlete that is versatile enough to rush the QB from almost any position on the field. In other words, he is perfect for the Ravens’ defensive unit. 

Upshaw should have no difficulty making the transition to the NFL. He played at Alabama in college, a school that regularly churns out prototypical NFL talent. Upshaw also has the advantage of learning from Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs.

It is unlikely that Upshaw will be able to make up for Suggs’ absence on his own, but he will have a major influence on the Ravens’ ability to field an elite defense again next season. 

Terrence Cody

Terrence Cody is a 350-pound mammoth of a defensive tackle that has been occupying the middle of the field for the past few seasons in Baltimore now. He needs to elevate his game this year to make his mark on the Ravens’ elite defense.

Cody is by no means taking over for Haloti Ngata anytime soon  (Ngata is only 28 years old); however, Cody provides depth for the Ravens and will have a huge impact on the outcome of next season.

Cody is effective at stuffing the run, which is exactly what he could be asked to do next season. He will officially take the torch from Ngata in a few years, but the process slowly begins now.

Pernell McPhee

Pernell McPhee is the perfect example of why the Baltimore Ravens are one of the best franchises in the NFL. McPhee was a fifth-round selection in the 2011 NFL draft, and he is quickly on is way to becoming a starter.

Last season McPhee recorded six sacks for the Ravens. That is a number that could increase during the absence of Terrell Suggs. 

McPhee is a versatile player, but it appears as if he could be a starter consistently at the defensive end position. He is quietly one of the better players ready to break out on a national level next year in Baltimore. 

Follow @Chris_Roling