Ravens Fourth-Year CB Earns Surprising Praise

In this story:
The Baltimore Ravens have arguably the best secondary in the NFL with Pro Bowlers and All-Pros across it. However, defensive coordinator Zach Orr named a lesser-known defensive back as the team's smartest.
Orr believes fourth-year cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis deserves to be recognized among the Ravens' smartest players.
"Jalyn is probably the smartest DB in the room because he knows all the positions and can play them all well," Orr said. "His thing is, man, he’s just got to stay healthy. If he stays healthy, I think he’s going to do real good things for us. We hope he can stay healthy. I know he’s working hard at it."
#Ravens DC Zach Orr with some big praise for CB Jalyn Armour-Davis:
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) July 31, 2025
“Jalyn is probably the smartest DB in the room because he knows all the positions and can play them all well. .. If he stays healthy, I think he’s going to do real good things for us.” pic.twitter.com/SZZcLxa0dX
Armour-Davis was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he has yet to find his footing at the next level. He has never played in more than eight games in a season and now he's trying to expand his role.
The 25-year-old, who is heading into a contract year, earned some reps at safety during OTAs and has been taking some reps in the slot during training camp.
The Ravens are likely looking for a contingency plan at safety after Ar'Darius Washington tore his Achilles last month and will miss most of the 2025 season. If Armour-Davis can give the Ravens what they're looking for, he may earn himself a new contract as well.
However, the first thing he should be focused on is staying healthy after dealing with hip and hamstring injuries the past two years. Once Armour-Davis proves he can do that, then he can begin truly carving out a role for himself on the defense.
Armour-Davis just returned to the practice field after missing a couple of days. He has 20 tackles and two passes defensed in his NFL career.

Aaron Becker is a Baltimore Ravens beat reporter for On SI, delivering original reporting for one of the NFL’s premiere franchises. He previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers beat for Pittsburgh Sports Now and Yardbarker from 2022 to ’24. Becker began his career working in communications for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2019 to ’21 and Kansas City Chiefs from 2021 to ‘22. He graduated from Point Park University with a B.A. in broadcast reporting.