‘Plays Like a Raven’: The Draft’s Pass Rusher on the Final Drive
There’s a phrase that echoes through the halls of the Baltimore Ravens’ facility in Owings Mills: “Play like a Raven.” It’s more than a slogan — it’s a blueprint, a badge of honor, a standard that defines the kind of football player the Ravens covet. Tough, relentless, smart, and team-first. This year, one pass rusher in the 2025 NFL Draft class didn’t just meet that standard — he lived it.
His name is Darian Blake, and if you watched his final college game, you saw the prototype.
The Final Drive That Told the NFL Everything
It was December 30, 2024, and the college football world was watching the Citrus Bowl, where Oregon State clashed with Tennessee. While the game featured multiple NFL hopefuls, the moment belonged to Darian Blake — a 6-foot-4, 262-pound edge rusher out of Oregon State who had steadily climbed draft boards all season. But it wasn’t just his stats or athletic testing that got scouts talking. It was that final drive.
With Oregon State clinging to a 27-24 lead and Tennessee driving with less than two minutes to play, Blake turned the field into his resume.
First down: Blake bull-rushed the left tackle, collapsing the pocket and forcing an early throw. Incompletion.
Second down: A swim move, a flash of speed — he pressured the quarterback into a checkdown for no gain.
Third down: Blake dipped low, turned the corner like a Ferrari, and recorded his second sack of the day.
Fourth down: Game on the line. Tennessee’s offensive coordinator tried to roll away from Blake’s side. Didn’t matter. Blake tracked it across the formation, shed a block, and flushed the quarterback out of bounds for a turnover on downs.
Game. Set. Statement.
“You don’t need the All-22 to see it,” one AFC scout said afterward. “That’s a Raven right there.”
From Underrated to Unignorable
Blake’s rise didn’t happen overnight. A three-star recruit from Sacramento, he chose Oregon State over lesser-known schools because they saw him as more than a rotational player. It took him two seasons to crack the starting lineup. Once he did, he never looked back.
In 2023, Blake posted 9.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, earning All-Pac-12 honors. But it was his senior season that put him in the national spotlight. He finished 2024 with:
- 12.5 sacks
- 21.0 tackles for loss
- 3 forced fumbles
- Countless double teams and chip blocks
“He gets better when the game gets harder,” said Oregon State defensive coordinator Trent Bray. “We always said he had that dog in him, but this year, he put the whole kennel on the field.”
Blake’s consistency and leadership resonated across the locker room. He was a captain, film room junkie, and the guy who set the tone in practice. That might sound like scouting cliché — until you watch him play.
A Prototype Fit in Baltimore
There’s a reason Blake has been linked to the Ravens in nearly every mock draft. He checks all the boxes Baltimore looks for in its defensive players — versatility, violence, motor, and high football IQ.
Defensive coordinator Zach Orr has made it clear this offseason: the Ravens are looking for difference-makers on the edge. While Baltimore returns Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo, injuries and inconsistency have left room for another impact player to emerge.
Blake, who projects as a stand-up rusher or a 4-3 DE, could be that guy.
“He’s relentless,” said NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, a former Ravens scout. “He doesn’t stop coming. That motor — that’s what Baltimore loves. That’s a Day 1 fit.”
Blake has already met with the Ravens three times — once informally at the Combine, once in a formal interview, and once during a Top-30 visit in early April.
The buzz? He crushed every meeting.
“He understood our scheme better than some guys on the roster,” one Ravens staffer joked. “You could tell he watches us on Sundays.”
The Numbers Back the Tape
Blake’s Combine performance didn’t raise eyebrows — it confirmed what teams already saw.
- 40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.58 seconds
- Vertical jump: 37.5 inches
- Bench press: 27 reps
- Arm length: 33.75 inches
The numbers say twitchy and explosive, but his film says productive and prepared.
Scouts love his ability to vary his pass-rush approach — speed, power, inside counters, bull rush. He’s not just fast — he’s nuanced. He studies his opponent’s weaknesses and attacks accordingly.
“Some guys just run in a straight line and hope,” said former Ravens great Terrell Suggs. “Blake? He’s painting pictures out there. That’s an art form.”
The Ravens’ Draft Plan
Baltimore holds the 30th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While offensive line and cornerback are both needs, edge rusher remains a position of emphasis. With Blake expected to go late in the first or early in the second round, he’s firmly in their range.
If he’s there at 30, the decision might be easy.
“If we don’t take him,” said one Ravens insider, “we’ll regret it when he’s chasing down our quarterbacks for the next 10 years.”
The Ravens have made a living off turning overlooked defenders into stars — see Matt Judon, Pernell McPhee, and Za’Darius Smith. Blake has the talent to leapfrog even that group.
The ‘Play Like a Raven’ Checklist
Ask anyone inside the building what it means to “play like a Raven,” and you’ll get variations of the same traits:
- Violent hands
- Effort on every snap
- Smart, situational football
- Loves the grind
- Plays for his teammates
In a film session with NFL teams, Blake broke down plays not only from his own tape but also from Ravens legends. He compared his pass rush plan to that of Suggs. He described how he manipulates tackle leverage like Elvis Dumervil. He mentioned how watching Jadeveon Clowney’s stunts with Roquan Smith in 2023 helped him improve his inside counters.
“He’s obsessed with the position,” said one NFL executive. “It’s rare.”
The Locker Room Fit
Baltimore is one of the most veteran-driven, accountability-heavy locker rooms in the NFL. For a young player, especially a first-rounder, fitting into that culture can make or break a career.
Blake, however, seems tailor-made for it.
“He’s a tone-setter,” Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo said. “Darian doesn’t wait for someone to tell him to lead — he just does. He watches more tape than the coaches.”
And it’s not all grind. Blake brings personality to the building. He’s known for his anime-inspired sack celebrations, his custom cleats, and his game-week trash talk.
“You get him in Baltimore,” said his agent, “and he’ll be leading that defense within three years.”
The Drive That Defines
In a draft cycle full of edge rushers with upside, Darian Blake offers something different: certainty. Coaches know what they’re getting. Teammates know who they’re following. And that final drive of his college career? That’s a moment that sticks.
While others were checking boxes at Pro Days, Blake had already checked the biggest one: He plays like a Raven.
In the words of one longtime Ravens personnel executive: “Some guys test like monsters. Some guys have the look. But when the game is on the line? Give me the guy who’s still fighting when the lights are brightest. That’s Blake. And that’s Baltimore.”
Come April 25, the Ravens might just make that connection official — and turn a Citrus Bowl drive into the first page of a Ravens legacy.
