Mike Macdonald on new Ravens DC Zachary Orr: ‘He’s going to knock it out of the park’

After losing rising star defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to the Seattle Seahawks, the Baltimore Ravens turned to inside linebackers coach Zachary Orr to fill the role.

The 31-year-old Orr had his playing career with the Ravens cut short at the age of 24 after doctors discovered a rare congenital spine condition that could result in his death if hit the wrong way on the football field.

It did not take long for the former undrafted linebacker turned second-team All-Pro to find his next calling as he joined Baltimore’s coaching staff as a defensive analyst in 2017. Orr spent several years in that position before leaving to become the outside linebackers coach under Urban Meyer with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After Meyer’s time as head coach of the Jaguars came to an abrupt end, not even an entire season into his tenure, Orr returned to the Ravens in 2022, this time as the inside linebackers coach.

Macdonald spoke highly of his successor while on 105.7 The Fan’s “Inside Access” on Thursday.

“I love Zach Orr,” Macdonald said. “He is going to knock it out of the park. He is a future head coach in this league, so enjoy him while you have him. But the guys are going to play with their hair on fire and they’re going to play together, I know that. Zach understands what it looks like in Baltimore, and he connects with the players better than anyone I’ve ever been around. Zach’s going to do a tremendous job.”