Ravens Secondary has Questions, but Enough Answers

The biggest boon the Baltimore Ravens have defensively is the versatility of their secondary. The NFL is a passing league and the AFC North is stacked with weapons. Joe Burrow has Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Deshaun Watson has Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore, while Kenny Pickett has Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. The Ravens have to have to be equipped with secondary talent just to get by in their division. Despite moving on from Marcus Peters, the Ravens look poised to have a stifling secondary.

The versatility of the secondary comes at the safety position. Marcus Williams, Kyle Hamilton and Geno Stone make up a perfect trio for Mike Macdonald. Williams is not only one of the best middle third defenders in the league, but he also has some of the best instincts. A healthy Williams makes a huge difference for the defense. Just ask Trevor Lawrence, who passed for 321 yards and three touchdowns against the Williams-less Ravens. Williams had four interceptions in 10 games last season, giving him 19 in his career. He’s not quite an Ed Reed (nobody is) but if a quarterback makes even the slightest mistake, Williams can make him pay. Quarterbacks respect the work Williams does and it forces them to be more patient with their shots down the field.

Hamilton is 6-4, and his length allows him to knock the ball away from receivers without drawing penalty flags. His speed, range, and increasing comfort within the defense allow him to be in the right place at the right time. In his rookie season, Hamilton was used as an extra tool or chess piece in the secondary, but the 2023 season should see Hamilton’s role increase. He could be used more as the main strong safety. With a year of NFL football under his belt, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hamilton became a play-maker who finds himself constantly around the football. I think it’s fair to expect Hamilton to have three to five interceptions in his second season. He impressed as a rookie and can take a jump forward in year two. I expect more snaps, more responsibility and more impact from number 14.

Geno Stone is an extra reinforcement at the safety position. He’s a hard hitting defensive back who can make a play once in a while. Stone has developed into a player the Ravens can count on defensively and on special teams. Brandon Stephens, who has experience at cornerback also gives the Ravens an extra dose of security at the safety position. From the safety position as a collective the Ravens can optimistically get 10 interceptions, 120 tackles and a few sacks. Their biggest impact however, will be all the big plays that don’t happen down the field because of their competency.

With safety set, the bigger concern is of course at cornerback. There’s no doubts about Marlon Humphrey, but there are questions that need to be answered. Can Rock Ya-Sin – who has never played a full 16 or 17-game season – get the job done as the number two cornerback for the entire year? In 2019 he played 15 games, then just 13 games the next two seasons, and was available for the Las Vegas Raiders for just 11 games last year.

Nobody needs to tell Ravens fans that you can never have enough corners, so Ya-Sin’s recent injury history has raised eyebrows in the Flock. While he’s been a solid cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts and the Raiders, his Ravens contract didn’t break the bank, and is essentially a “Prove-it” kind of deal.

It works on paper though. The Ravens think they made a savvy move. They better be right.

The good news is that the Ravens have a lot of young talent at the position. Most notably, Damarion Williams looks like a promising nickel corner, showing confidence last year in training camp and preseason. He isn’t afraid to jump routes and flashed impressive ball skills. The athletic tools are there, and he should get better with experience. Jalyn Armour-Davis looked raw before getting hurt last year. His speed and twitchiness keep me interested. Draftee Kyu Blu Kelly out of Stanford has a lean 6-1 build, and looks the part. It will be interesting to see if Kevon Seymour will make the team. He’s one of the hardest workers on the practice field.

The Ravens have to hope one of these young players makes a difference lining up in the slot. This is where that safety depth comes into play. Brandon Stephens is a fairly reliable outside cornerback. The Ravens can always play Humphrey inside and have Stephens and Ya-Sin outside. There’s also no rule that says the extra defensive backs have to be cornerbacks. The Ravens can line up with three safeties on the field very comfortably. There are certainly reservations to be had, though there is a surplus of exciting ingredients. That should allow John Harbaugh and company the ability to sleep at night if these concerns pop up. I’m not losing sleep over it.

Outside of a few games where they completely missed the mark, the 2022 Ravens were boosted by their secondary. They held Josh Allen to 213 yards passing. Burrow had just 217 yards through the air in the first meeting, a Baltimore win, then just 209 yards in the playoff game. The injury-hobbled Ravens played with the Bengals very competitively. When the defense worked, it really worked.

The secondary should take a step forward this year for three reasons. First, Mike Macdonald’s defense isn’t new anymore. The players don’t have to learn the scheme, and they lose an excuse they could use last September. Secondly, Hamilton isn’t a rookie. A big year two jump isn’t just realistic; it’s expected. He has the talent to be one of the most dynamic defensive backs in the league.

Finally, the Ravens have so much versatility, they can get the job done in different ways.