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Ravens hope numbers, upside pay off at cornerback for “position-less” secondary

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Marlon Humphrey couldn’t resist commenting on the cornerback depth after the Ravens signed two-time Pro Bowl selection Jaire Alexander on Wednesday. 

We know there’s really no such thing as having too many corners in the NFL. The Ravens alone can point to multiple seasons in which that perceived strength became a weakness in a matter of a few games — or sometimes just a few days of practice. But as Humphrey noted, the idea of a deep group of cornerbacks is “a great problem to have.” 

Alexander is the kind of upside addition the Ravens probably needed to make in the aftermath of the torn Achilles tendon suffered by Ar’Darius Washington, which is expected to sideline the projected starting safety for much of the 2025 season if not its entirety. Prior to that injury, Baltimore came out of draft weekend with talented first-round safety Malaki Starks and the expectation of featuring plenty of three-safety looks in the secondary. The Ravens would still benefit from adding a veteran safety to truly maximize the versatility of two-time Pro Bowl selection Kyle Hamilton, but the cornerback quartet of Humphrey, Alexander, 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins, and veteran newcomer Chidobe Awuzie now looks as formidable on paper as any group Baltimore has fielded in at least a few seasons.  

In the wake of last year’s early woes that prompted changes to the starting lineup and shifts in responsibilities, being able to field a “position-less” secondary remains the vision. Deploying elite talents like Hamilton and Humphrey in multiple ways creates headaches for opposing quarterbacks and offenses, but the strategy requires quality depth. 

“The options are endless. With me playing a little safety, even Malaki in college, he played some of that nickel position, it’s going to be a fun secondary,” said Humphrey, who saw his most extensive action at the nickel spot since 2020 last season. “Guys can kind of play wherever. The addition of Jaire along with the other guys we’ve got, it can be a serious matchup. If there’s a [situation] that we feel that this guy can cover this [receiver] better, we can match him up with him, and we can all pick who we want. We can have four [early-round] corners out there. There’s just so much that we can do. It’s really exciting.”

That enthusiasm depends on good health as it’s hardly a secret the 28-year-old Alexander has played in more than seven games in a season just once in the last four years. But that’s also why Green Bay released him earlier this month and general manager Eric DeCosta was able to sign a Pro Bowl talent to a one-year deal worth $4 million plus incentives. After missing nine games last season, the oft-injured Awuzie, 30, became available on the cheap just one year after signing a $36 million deal with Tennessee. Just a year ago at this time, we were having very different conversations about Humphrey and his future as the four-time Pro Bowl corner was trying to rebound from an injury-plagued 2023. 

That’s why it’s still important for the Ravens to identify another legitimate depth corner or two from the likes of 2024 fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa, 2022 fourth-round pick Jalyn Armour-Davis, and sixth-round rookies Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam. Even more critical is a young safety like Sanoussi Kane or Beau Brade emerging as legitimate depth with there being no veteran safety behind Hamilton and the rookie Starks on the current roster. We already saw Armour-Davis — who carries his own injury history into a contract year — taking reps at safety this spring, which speaks to the numbers at cornerback and safety as well as the malleability that defensive coordinator Zach Orr and senior secondary coach Chuck Pagano desire for the pass defense. 

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Still, having sufficient options to cover on the outside is nonnegotiable, which is why the addition of Alexander is so exciting. If he and Awuzie — who have both played almost exclusively on the outside in their NFL careers — combined can be available for most of the season and especially January, their signings will be more than worth the modest financial investment. 

“It’s kind of a big deal because a lot of plays are made out there on that red line — on that outside third part of the field,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s an area of the field that really needs to be defended. And then, when you play man [coverage], they’ll run all those crossing routes and all those pick routes, and you need guys that can keep up with that stuff. 

“It just gives you more options with your defensive play calls. That’s a good thing. I’m really, really fired up about that.” 

The Ravens hope those options will lead to an elite pass defense from start to finish in 2025.

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