Ravens Connected to Former DPOY to Fill Glaring Need

The Baltimore Ravens have been linked to a former Defensive Player of the Year.

Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh stands on the sidelines in the first quarter of a game against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-Imagn Images | Brent Skeen-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens have historically been known for boasting tough, stingy defenses, but there is no doubt they showed some slippage in that department last season.

Most notably, the Ravens struggled in defending the pass, ranking 31st in the NFL in that department, and that was due largely in part to limited depth at cornerback.

Baltimore signed Chidobe Awuzie in free agency in an attempt to address the position, and it did take a couple of corners in the draft, but that wasn't until the sixth round.

It seems pretty clear that the Ravens could use more stability at cornerback, and Sterling Xie feels he has the answer for Baltimore: former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.

"A veteran like Stephon Gilmore would be a starting-level player who would allow the Ravens to avoid depending on an unknown, such as Jalyn Armour-Davis or T.J. Tampa," Xie wrote. "Gilmore’s past experience in man-heavy schemes could translate well to a Ravens defense that played man at the ninth-highest rate in 2024. He’s still a quality starter, as evidenced by his 7.1 yards per target allowed with the Vikings last year."

Gilmore played in 15 games for Minnesota in 2024, registering 56 tackles, an interception and nine passes defended.

The 34-year-old is a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro, and he won the Defensive Player of the Year award with the New England Patriots back in 2019.

Gilmore clearly isn't on that level anymore, but as Xie noted, he remains a productive defender who could absolutely help a contender like the Ravens.

Baltimore should be able to land the veteran on a one-year deal, much like the Vikings did last August. We'll see if the Ravens decide to take a chance on the former first-round pick.

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