Ravens Add Second Edge Rusher in Draft With Notre Dame's Daelin Hayes
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens added their second edge rusher in the 2021 draft, selecting Notre Dame's Daelin Hayes with the 171st overall pick.
Baltimore also picked up Jayson Oweh from Penn State with the 31st selection.
"I’m just a guy that’s going to put it all on the line," Hayes said. "I spoke to Coach [John Harbaugh] a couple days ago, and I remember telling him Baltimore has been my favorite team since I was a kid. That love, that genuine love that I’ve always had for the city of Baltimore, for that team when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and those guys were locking guys down – that was really the example that I had when I started playing defense.
"That genuine love, the work ethic, a versatile player, [my] best ball is ahead. I’m going to go in, bust my butt, learn from the older guys and compete to the highest level. As far as the community, that’s something that was extremely important to me at Notre Dame, and it’s something that I’m going to continue to do with my NFL career. Just continuing to be a servant, to be a leader, grow as a player and just continue to maximize each day and each opportunity.”
Here's a breakdown on Hayes:
- In his five injury-plagued seasons with the Fighting Irish, Hayes recorded 97 tackles, 20.5 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, one interception, four passes defended, and four forced fumbles. He was named team captain in 2020 and is heralded for all the work he does in the community. He was a Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year finalist in 2020, as well as being a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year finalist.
- A torn labrum in his shoulder forced Hayes to miss all but three games of the 2019 season. Hayes returned to school and played in 2020, which earned him a bid to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl.
- Thick legs and an imposing build is combined with good athletic traits. He has long limbs and is a bit high cut in the waist. He has very good burst and juice off the snap, as well as lateral quickness, foot speed, and explosiveness.
- He was recruited at 185 pounds and has added 60+ pounds of weight since arriving on campus. He played the Vyper position in Notre Dame’s defense, which is more like a 3-4 outside linebacker--aligned mostly in a 2 point stance.
- Hayes doesn’t have a ton of college production, but he has interesting pass-rushing traits, enough athletic ability to cover well into the flat, and is a solid run defender. Hayes has a very effective speed rush and can dip/bend well at the waist.
- He has shown the ability to quickly establish the half-man relationship while bending through contact and using his hands well. He’s crafty with his hand usage and used the club and the push-pull combo well. Hayes is a sneaky prospect.
- He can drop well into coverage and is a fluid mover. He can flip his hips well for an edge rusher and get to the flat with solid speed. This effective dual-threat ability will put stress on opposing offenses. Overall, a bit of an underachiever who wasn’t in an every-down role.
