The Ravens Are Going To End Up Dealing A Cornerback, Maybe Two

Barring a run on injuries in practice, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta is a few weeks from being hard at work trying to trade a few cornerbacks.

Yeah, a few. As in probably more than one.

At the very least, he will be listening and thinking about multiple moves, with Baltimore perhaps having simply too many competent ones than will fit on the 53-man roster at a position in which most teams have a need (if not a significant need). The NFL is all about value and inefficiencies and if in fact the Ravens end up having an abundance of riches in cover corners, there will be a trade of some magnitude. At least.

Of course, we know that injuries can strike at once and in a cluster and apparently deep Ravens rosters of the past have suddenly dealt with triage. The old adage you can never have too many corners is true, but alas the league rules will only let you keep so many on your active roster and this is shaping up to be a good problem for the Ravens.

Rookie head coach Jesse Minter is being even more conservative than his coaching mentors – the Harbaugh brothers – when it comes to exposing talent to potential injury in the preseason – and on Monday the Ravens got even more good news on the backend, with starting corners Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey both back from nagging injuries.

“It’s a blessing sometimes when those things happen,” Minter said, “and you pray for the best and hope for best.”

In the interim, young veteran TJ Tampa – with size and wingspan to really make am impact in Minter’s quarters-coverage heavy scheme – looked the part as the top corner in the preseason drubbing of the Eagles (76 yards allowed through three quarters and no first downs), sticky on receivers and breaking well on the ball. The entire secondary shined – there is abundant depth at safety as well – and even playing as much nickel and dime as Minter does, he cannot keep all of these guys.

How Will The Numbers Work?

The Ravens have let it be known that they think Tampa has real trade value, and he probably does carry some. Could he help them secure a really interesting pass catcher who is stuck in a numbers game on some other roster? Draft picks are great and all, but they can’t do anything for a roster in 2026.

Would they be more comfortable dealing deep depth a wrung below Tampa, and players with a lesser draft pedigree themselves? Undrafted nickel corner Kyon Martin looks the part of someone who can make plays in the slot, they love him on special teams he didn’t get much work at all Saturday, which shows he’s in great roster standing. He couldn't return what he is worth with the lack of a regular season resume.

“This is a guy that plays the game a certain way,” Minter said of Martin after the preseason debut, “plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he's got a knack for making plays. That's all he does, is he keeps doing it. He makes plays [in] practice, games, his number's called, and you love to see that from guys."

The players are not naïve.

They understand the realities of the business of the NFL and they know how the math works and they can see the glut of corners for what it is. They also have friends around the league on other rosters that they know are not nearly as deep. Strong film always helps, but the Ravens certainly have some sorting out to do if this group stays healthy.

"I feel like nobody is oblivious to the situation … there are a lot more DBs on the team than there are going to be roster spots,” Martin said. “But you don't really play into the numbers game, you just go out there and compete. You love to come out there and compete, and you go out there and you get better, and you cheer on your teammates – even though we're all competing for a certain limited amount of spots, you want to see them be great, and they want to see you be great. “

I would actually prefer him to Humphrey at this point, but with $19.25M tied up in the 30-something, that is what it is. Moving Humphrey’s contract is impossible, and keeping him on a pitch count and getting him through the season feels like a priority.

A Welcome Return

And, Minter’s options are even further expanded by promising youngster Bilhal Kone making it back from a gruesome knee injury he suffered in the preseason a year ago, and able to take part in Saturday’s contest. Obviously, this is more of a practice squad prospect for them at this point. They also have veteran corner Amani Oruwariye, whose body-type and resume would seem to lends itself well to Minter’s schematics and style of zone play, dealing with a minor injury now too, and still more than enough quality to go around.

Kone last left M&T Bank Stadium in an air cast, but got to participate against the Eagles, playing 20 snaps and registering three tackles.

“I just learned that I love this game too much to let it go,” Kone, a sixth-round pick in 2025, said. “I just love this game and how much value it has brought to my life and core principles that I have in myself that it has brought to me. So, I just got into that recovery mode. Once I got into that recovery mode, all the trainers were the best, and they just helped me get through it."

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