



Timmy Jernigan has never shied away from talking about the goals he has for himself.

He wants to make the Pro Bowl and become a dominant defensive player, and he's well aware of the expectations the team has for him as a 2014 second-round pick.

Now in his third season, Jernigan is living up to those standards.

He's off to a great start this season, racking up a pair of sacks through the first two games. He also has eight total tackles, including two for loss.

"I feel like I have made a lot of the right steps," Jernigan said. "I wouldn't say that [the first two years] were a struggle, but they could have been better. I am embracing it, and I am trying to make up for it."

An area where the Ravens have been particularly pleased with Jernigan is the pass-rush department. With Elvis Dumervil sidelined and Terrell Suggs playing his first games back from last year's torn Achilles, the pressure around the edge has been limited.

But Jernigan has helped offset that by creating pressure up the middle.

"The pass rush is big," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "That's probably the biggest thing. He's really pushing the pocket inside."

Jernigan's advantage is that he's more athletic than most players in the middle of the defense. At 295 pounds, he doesn't have the body type to gobble up blockers at the line up scrimmage. He's a quick-twitch athlete who can sneak past interior offensive linemen to get into the backfield.