Ar'Darius Washington Injury Could Create Larger Roles For Ravens' Young DBs

The Baltimore Ravens' defensive backfield was poised to have one of the best trios at the safety position in the NFL prior to the unfortunate news that fifth-year veteran Ar’Darius Washington suffered a torn Achilles that will cause him to miss most, if not all, of the 2025 season.

Injuries are an inevitable aspect of the game that hits some teams and position groups harder than others and can come at any time over the course of the offseason, regular season or playoffs. The Ravens were one fortunate to be on of the healthier teams last season on both sides of the ball be even though they weren't exempt, albeit on a much smaller scale compared to years past.

Washington's setback is a heartbreaking development for the former undrafted gem who battled injuries to begin his career before finally emerging in the second half of last season. However, it has also created an opportunity for one or both of the Ravens' two second-year safeties to seize more prominent roles on defense in his absence.

As rookies last year, Sanoussi Kane and Beau Brade were mostly relegated to special teams roles in the games they appeared in and only got to see the field on defense late in the fourth quarter of games where victory was well in hand. Kane was selected in the seventh round out of Purdue, while Brade surprisingly went undrafted out of Maryland.

Both players balled out in the preseason, with Kane showing that he had what it takes to contribute right away as a core special teams ace in the exhibition opener. Meanwhile, Brade was able to make the team based on how he flashed on defense and performed well in both phases throughout all three games.

Great look @SanoussiKane1 🫡

See more in WIRED: https://t.co/wJESe1tveI pic.twitter.com/oQCimEAr4f
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 29, 2024

Kane stood out on defense as well in the preseason, not allowing a single reception on 30 coverage snaps according to Pro Football Focus, produced a coverage grade of 73.4 and recorded a forced incompletion and a tackle for loss. The former Boilermaker also showcased the physical downhill thumping ability that he was known for in college.

This dude Sanoussi Kane is a menace pic.twitter.com/jd0Xbm0MJ7
— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) August 10, 2024

During the regular season, Kane appeared in 15 games and recorded nine total tackles, including five solos, most of which came on special teams, where he played 325 snaps compared to just 22 on defense. He missed two games with minor injuries and appeared in both of the Ravens' playoff games.

Brade didn't bring as much value on special teams as Kane, so he was active for fewer games, not making his regular-season debut until Week 6, and then went on to appear in 11 of the team's next 12 games. He recorded just three total tackles, including just one solo and played 207 snaps on special teams compared to just 11 on defense and was inactive for both playoff games.

The former Terrapin was all over the field defensively in the preseason, leading the team in total tackles twice and finishing with 19, including two for a loss. Several of his takedowns took place in space and were touchdown-saving, as he was often the last line of defense. He nearly came up with a diving interception in the second exhibition game and forced a fumble that was nearly recovered by a teammate before just rolling out of bounds.

Maryland's finest, Beau Brade, runs the alley like a starting NFL safety. Controlled aggression.

Confidently processes underneath route concepts and in the run game so he's first to arrive with more momentum than the receiver or ball carrier. Brings the boom for his size for… pic.twitter.com/QF4vLJSgQJ
— Spencer Schultz (@ravens4dummies) August 27, 2024

While both players are big hitters who excel at playing fast and physical downhill, especially in the run game, Brade has shown to be the more adept in coverage of the two when it comes to playing in space and making plays on the ball even dating back to college where he recorded two interceptions and 11 pass breakups in his final two seasons. Meanwhile, Kane is almost exclusively a box defender who is most effective playing near the line of scrimmage and when he can see what is in front of him, as far as diagnosing the run and snuffing out underneath routes.

Washington was a versatile piece of the secondary that the Ravens were still counting on to play a significant amount of snaps even after selecting former Georgia star Malaki Starks in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He proved during his emergence down the stretch last season that he can be interchangeable at either safety spot, playing alongside two-time Pro Bowler Kyle Hamilton, as their pairing solidified what was an inconsistent pass coverage unit to open the season.

Of the two second-year safeties, Brade is the most likely of the two who'd be best suited to fill the key role as the Ravens' third safety that sees nearly as much time as a full-time starter in their scheme. However, it doesn't mean that Kane can't still carve out a role for himself on defense as a dime linebacker in sub-packages if he proves to be a better matchup on opposing tight ends and pass-catching running back than third-year linebacker Trenton Simpson or fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan.

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