There aren’t many organizations where the ‘face of the franchise’ is a guy who plays on defense, but the Baltimore Ravens were certainly in that category. We all understand why. Seventeen years of sustained excellence by Ray Lewis certainly left its mark on the franchise, as did the 11 years he shared on the field with Ed Reed.

Lewis and Reed left the organization after the Super Bowl-winning 2012-13 NFL season. A half-dozen off-seasons followed, and we were introduced to Lamar Jackson. He’s undoubtedly the face of the franchise, but Baltimore’s fans never lost their appetite for defense. Recently, one of their young stars earned a mention following a poll taken among NFL front-office executives.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently crafted a defensive tackle ranking; one pieced together with the help of executives, coaches, and scouts. Nnamdi Madubuike found his way into the top ten, landing at number seven.

“(He’s still a quality player, but he wasn’t as dominant as the (2023 sack numbers) suggested. I think the defensive coordinator change was significant in creating one-on-one opportunities… He still has elite burst and explosion.”

Those were the words of an unnamed AFC executive. One can’t help but wonder if he’s employed by one of the Ravens‘ rivals in the AFC North.

We’ll never know the answer to that. Here’s what we do know. Fowler’s analysis hits the nail on the head.

“Multiple evaluators noted that Macdonald, the Ravens’ coordinator in 2022 and 2023, was skilled at positioning Madubuike for success on obvious passing downs. The Ravens transitioned from Macdonald to Zach Orr last year, and the secondary struggled mightily in the first half of the season. That can affect a pass rush.”

Despite the transition, Madubuike chipped in with 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Those were the second-highest totals of his career in both categories. He also found his way onto another Pro Bowl roster. That was the second consecutive year that he had earned that honor.

In 2023, he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors, albeit under the watchful eye of the aforementioned Mike Macdonald. He has the skill to reach that level of recognition again.

Hopefully, Zach Orr has the necessary ingredients to unlock Madubuike’s full potential. Everyone expects fireworks from the Ravens’ offense, but young stars like this one can bring some sizzle on the other side of the ball.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Nnamdi Madubuike joins elite company in NFL defensive tackle ranking