Coming off of his most impressive season to date, former-Baltimore Ravens linebacker Matt Judon will remain in Baltimore for at least one more season. The Ravens are expected to use the franchise tag to retain his services, per Mike Garafolo. Judon was coming off of a season in which he tallied career highs in games started (16), sacks (9.5), forced fumbles (four), and quarterback hits (33). He was also named to his first Pro Bowl in 2019.
Matt Judon Receives Franchise Tag
Judon entered the NFL out of Division II Grand Valley State. He led the GLIAC in sacks with 8.5 before being selected by the Ravens in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. While the Ravens outside linebacker group was incredibly deep in 2016, Judon was able to make the 53-man roster as a rookie despite being the third edge defender selected by the Ravens that season. He recorded 27 tackles, 4.0 sacks and 10 QB hits as a rookie.
Judon really broke onto the scene in 2017. In his second year, he became an integral part of the Ravens pass rush and started 12 games. Throughout the season, Judon played over 50% of defensive snaps in each game and finished the year registering 8.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, 19 QB hits and set career highs to date in tackles (61) and tackles for loss (17). His most notable performance came against the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers where he racked up seven tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble on route to the Ravens third shutout of the year.
Following the 2017 season, Judon had cemented himself as a cornerstone of the Ravens defense. Since being drafted, he leads the Ravens in sacks, QB hits, and tackles for loss. He is yet to miss an NFL game due to injury as well — though he was scratched twice during his rookie season. Judon is in the middle of his prime, going on age 28 for the start of the 2020 season, and if his 2019 campaign is a sign of things to come, he is still improving his game every year.
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