The Baltimore Ravens defensive line under performed last season, allowing a disappointing average of four yards per rush for a franchise with a long history of suffocating run defenses. Furthermore, the seven man rotation combined to record an underwhelming five sacks in 16 regular season games.
The absence of their top run stuffer had a tremendous impact on the group, with a Week 2 foot injury sidelining Brandon Williams for a four game stretch. With limited personnel, defensive tackle Michael Pierce was forced to play 54 percent of defensive snaps. This significant uptick in workload zapped some of Pierce’s pocket collapsing ability.