Ravens Tavon Young 'blessed' to be back on the field after neck injury

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens pass defense coordinator Chris Hewitt said having cornerback Tavon Young back in the lineup is like having a "first-round draft pick coming back inside of your room."

Indeed, Young adds another dimension to an already talented secondary. He missed all of last season with a neck injury, but he has been at full-speed throughout training camp.

“He looks great," Harbaugh said. "He looks to me like he picked up right where he left off before. He’s really trained hard, and you can see that. He’s moving great. He’s a very good football player, and he’s playing very well.

"So, I can’t wait to see him play this year. I’m excited for his season. He’s a special kind of guy.”

The Ravens selected Young in the fourth round of the 2016 draft from Temple and he appeared in all 16 games, including 11 starts, as a rookie. He missed the following season with a torn ACL.

Young bounced back in 2018, appearing in 15 games despite being hampered by a groin injury. He finished with 34 tackles, an interception and two fumble returns for touchdowns. Young was one of four NFL players to score multiple defensive touchdowns that season.

After signing a three-year, $25.8 million contract extension last year n February 2019 that made him the highest-paid slot cornerback at the time, Young was diagnosed with the neck injury during training camp. He weighed his options before being shut down for the season.

“To be honest, I really can’t tell you which play it was," Young said. "But I had neck pain throughout the camp, kind of. And then just one day, it was like I was putting on my helmet and I couldn’t really take the pain from it. So, after that, I just checked in with the training staff. I couldn’t really recall which exact play it was.”

Now, he's fully healthy and ready to make an impact.

With Young back in the lineup, the Ravens can keep fellow cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters on the outside where they both thrive. Young will also give Martindale some flexibility to move players around, such as allowing veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith to spend some time at safety.

“I’m excited to be back with my guys," Young said. "Second time doing this, but every time I come back, it’s just a blessing. It’s just another day to step on the field; another day to just compete, have fun and do what I love the most.”