The Ravens’ defensive line depth took a hit Tuesday as Willie Henry was placed on injured reserve.
The third-year defensive tackle had been in line for a significant role in 2018 and was working with the first-team unit in the spring and summer before undergoing hernia surgery, which sidelined him for the first four games of the season. Henry had a tackle and played 20 snaps in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, but the Ravens did not immediately announce the nature of his injury. He wouldn’t be eligible to play again until late December if the organization would choose to use one of its two designations to return.
Henry, a former fourth-round pick from Michigan, emerged as an impactful interior rusher last season, collecting 3 1/2 sacks and batting down five passes at the line of scrimmage in 14 games. In three games this season, the 24-year-old collected three tackles and one sack.
Henry’s absence could mean a few more snaps for either Patrick Ricard or Zach Sieler, who have both played sparingly this season.
To fill the open spot on the 53-man roster, the Ravens promoted offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor from the practice squad. Eluemunor’s addition could serve as a clue for the Week 8 state of the offensive line after starting left guard Alex Lewis (neck) and starting right tackle James Hurst (back) missed the Saints game. Baltimore had only one reserve lineman available against the Saints and typically goes into games with no fewer than two backups.
