Last season, the Baltimore Ravens led the NFL in rushing yards, thanks in part to superhuman showings by Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson. Jackson threw for 4,172 yards en route to a league-leading QB rating (119.6) and QBR score (77.3).

Efforts like that are always deserving of a tip of the cap. For the Ravens, it serves as motivation because, as good as they were, they accomplished all of this knowing full well they could be even better than they were last time we saw them.

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So, Eric DeCosta went to work. He strengthened Todd Monken’s unit with free-agent acquisitions (DeAndre Hopkins) and a Swiss-Army knife-type do-it-all receiver/returner he acquired in the draft (LaJohntay Wester). Last year, the defense improved steadily, and pieces were added on that side of the ball as well, but the Ravens may have a wild card in a former undrafted free agent who is potentially on the verge of a breakout.

C.J. Okoye is a potential international star with breakout potential

Ravens defensive tackle C.J. Okoye didn’t take the traditional path to the NFL. It was a winding road with a few forks. Following an NFL Africa camp where he trained as an offensive lineman and became the camp’s MVP, he became one of 38 players to be invited to the NFL International Combine in London, England.

He impressed again and was one of 13 players selected by the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. There, he made the final cut and was one of eight players to be allocated to an NFL team. He joined the Los Angeles Chargers. This past January, he signed a future reserve contract to join the Baltimore Ravens.

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This is a loaded defensive unit. Okoye probably won’t be added to the 53-man roster as a nose tackle, seeing as how Baltimore already has Travis Jones and John Jenkins. He is, however, someone worthy of a practice squad position. He played well in the preseason debut, notching three tackles and a quarterback hit. That caught the eye of his head coach, John Harbaugh, and his defensive coordinator, Zachary Orr.

“He’s really learning how to come out of his hips and strike and shed, stay square in there and play the run,” Harbaugh said. “He’s gotten some push in pass rush. He’s going to be a pocket pusher.”

International appeal… He has NFL size (he stands at six feet six inches and weighs 370 pounds). Keep an eye on him. You can best believe that those in the know already are.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Recent Ravens acquisition is a former UDFA with breakout potential