Known for his pass-rushing ability, Aeneas Peebles wants the league to know he’s more than capable as a run defender.
On one play during Tuesday’s practice, Peebles wasn’t just capable. He excelled.
Going against the first-team offensive line, the sixth-round pick burst into the backfield and wrapped up Justice Hill for a loss. As he went back to the defensive huddle, Peebles even received a high-five from Lamar Jackson, who had a front-row seat to watch Peebles dart behind the line of scrimmage.
Those are the plays the 6-foot, 289-pound Peebles expects from himself as he looks to make a name for himself as an every-down lineman. In his first training camp, his expectations are becoming reality.
“I feel like I’ve definitely improved as a run defender,” Peebles said. “That’s definitely something that’s a part of my game that I feel I needed to improve, and I feel like over these last couple of weeks I’ve definitely done that.”
Defensive Line Coach Dennis Johnson has also taken notice of Peebles, known by his teammates and the coaching staff as “Fub.”
“Fub is one of the most explosive defensive linemen I’ve ever coached or evaluated on tape,” Johnson said. “He uses his explosiveness in the run and in the pass [game], and he gets his hands on people quicker than they get their hands on him. In the run game, that helps him a lot.”
While Peebles has improved as a run defender, his immediate role in the Ravens defense could be more as a third-down pass rusher.
“He gives us a little bit of a change-of-speed pitch. I don’t know, maybe it’s a fastball, maybe it’s with movement,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s quick in there. We’ve always had the big, powerful defensive linemen, but when we saw him on tape, we liked him.”
Here are more notes from Tuesday’s practice:
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