Raven Country

Do Ravens Have Best Secondary in NFL?

The Baltimore Ravens could be set for a major one-year turnaround as a pass defense.

Zach Dimmitt

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) celebrates with cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) after Humphrey intercepted a pass in the end-zone intended for Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) celebrates with cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) after Humphrey intercepted a pass in the end-zone intended for Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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Despite possessing the league's top statistical run defense, the Baltimore Ravens had one of the worst secondaries in the NFL last season.

Zach Orr's unit surrendered 244.1 yards per game, second-most in the league behind only the Jacksonville Jaguars (257.4).

But after the signing of former Green Bay Packers two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander, could the team be in for a major one-year turnaround in that area?

With their offseason additions, the Ravens made it clear that improvement in the backend was at the top of the to-do list.

However, Wednesday's signing of Alexander showed the obvious, that Baltimore is looking to capitalize on its Super Bowl window while having as few concerns in the secondary as possible.

With the addition of Alexander, the Ravens have one of the most talented group of defensive backs in the NFL on paper.

The phrase "on paper" has a deathly grip on the offseason and won't mean much once the Ravens begin action in Week 1. Regardless, it's hard to deny that Baltimore's pure personnel and talent will cause concern for opposing offenses headed into game day.

Let's start with the obvious. Safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Entering their fourth year together, the pair have a combined six Pro Bowl appearances and three All-Pro nods between them. Hamilton has even been garnering some Defensive Player of the Year hype this offseason.

Then there's the young guns. First-round cornerback Nate Wiggins enters his second season after a solid rookie year while former Georgia safety Malaki Starks enters the fold after being the No. 27 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

With the signing of Alexander, the Ravens now have five former first-round picks in their secondary, counting Starks.

If that wasn't enough, the Ravens also signed fomer Dallas Cowboys second-round pick Chidobe Awuzie after he spent last season with the Tennessee Titans. The 30-year old has seven career interceptions to his name across 94 appearances (81 starts) in the regular season.

After heavily addressing their weakest link, there's not many excuses for Baltimore next season. If the Ravens can improve against the pass while maintaining the same level of elite offensive production they had on the other side of the ball, perhaps the team can finally break through to a Super Bowl for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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