Jesse Minter Views Lamar Jackson as ‘Fourth-Down Weapon’

Minter will be the Ravens’ defensive player-caller, and he’s eager to work with second-year edge rusher Mike Green.

Minter was high on Green’s ability when he entered the draft, and he still loves the second-round pick’s skillset.

“I got a lot of confidence in Mike Green,” Minter said. “Loved him coming out. He was high on our board. I was joking with him… it’s meant to be now that we’re together.”

Green had 41 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a rookie, but he hopes to make a significant jump in Year 2. Minter believes that can happen, and he was successful in getting pass rushers to blossom when he was the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive coordinator.

Last season, Odafe Oweh had 7.5 sacks in 12 regular-season games for the Chargers after being traded by the Ravens. Then, in the playoffs, Oweh added three more sacks against the New England Patriots before signing a four-year contract with the Washington Commanders this offseason.

Minter believes Green will benefit from playing opposite newly acquired veteran pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.

“Now he’ll have a guy in the room, in Trey, that he can really learn from, that he can learn some of the nuances of rushing the passer,” Minter said. “Those guys will work well together. Oftentimes, when you have a guy like [Hendrickson] on one side, it creates even more opportunities for the guy on the other side.

“Mike should be very excited because I feel like he’s going to have a lot of opportunities to impact the game. Just like anybody, your first year to your second year is often a big jump.”