Ravens Expect Heated Battle at Cornerback
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens have one of the most talented secondaries in the league with cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith.
Several young players flashed at the recent OTAs, most notably Khalil Dorsey, Chris Westry, and Anthony Averett.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh is looking forward to the battles for playing time next month.
“I expect it to be] absolutely heated," Harbaugh said. "I think [pass game coordinator/secondary] Coach [Chris] Hewitt and [defensive backs] Coach [D’Anton] Lynn have done a tremendous job with those guys throughout the course of the whole offseason, and those guys have responded very well. So, I’m looking forward to that competition that you’re talking about in training camp. It’s a very talented group, and the best players will be the guys that play the best. I can’t wait to watch it play out.”
Pro Football Focus ranked the Ravens’ secondary as the second-best in the league behind the Denver Broncos.
The Ravens will get a boost from the potential return of Tavon Young at slot corner. Baltimore also drafted two playmakers this year with Brandon Stephens, a third-round pick from SMU, and Shaune Wade, a fifth-round pick from Ohio State.
The Ravens are also set at safety with Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott.
"Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters were the only teammates to find themselves inside the top 10 of PFF’s outside cornerback rankings entering the 2021 season," PFF's Ben Linsley wrote. "Granted, Humphrey has spent much of the past two years in the slot, but a healthy Tavon Young could allow him to play more on the outside next year.
"Humphrey is the only cornerback in the NFL with coverage grades of at least 80.0 from both the slot and outside since 2017. He brings a rare and valuable skill set to Baltimore's secondary, which also received solid play from Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott in 2020."
