Ravens Safety Turns Heads At Minicamp

Ar'Darius Washington could be a big part of the Baltimore Ravens' defense this season.

Nov 21, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington (29) leaves the field after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports / Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

As mandatory minicamp wraps up, it seems like the Baltimore Ravens have an answer to one of their biggest questions on defense.

Baltimore has the consensus best safety duo in the league between Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams, but not much depth behind them after Geno Stone's departure this offseason. As a result, finding a capable third safety behind the two stars was a top priority this offseason.

Now, it seems the answer to their woes was already on the roster in the form of fourth-year safety Ar'Darius Washington. The TCU product has impressed throughout OTAs and mandatory minicamp, gaining strong endorsements from his coaches and teammates.

"Ar'Darius has looked really good. Yes, I feel great about him. He's already established himself. He's played in the games – every game he's played in, he's played well. He's looked great in practice, and let's get him out there and get him in some more games. That's the goal," coach John Harbaugh told reporters Thursday.

Hamilton has been absent throughout much of the offseasonas he recovers from an elbow surgery, so Baltimore's other safeties have had a much greater chance to shine. Out of all of them though, Washington has clearly made the strongest impression.

"Yes, it's always been [a] next-man-up mentality. Even if somebody is not here right now, we're all still working. And [Kyle Hamilton] is still out here acting as if he's a coach. Kyle thinks he's a coach now or something." Williams told reporters. "But no, I think they're doing a great job, leaning the playbook, and everybody is pretty much interchangeable in our defense, [and] everybody learns every position so [that] they know what to do. Going out there and having it in practice, [helps] us perform for the upcoming season."

Washington, who joined the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2021, has only appeared in eight games through his first three seasons, including just one start. He has also struggled with injuries over that time, and staying healthy will be paramount to him earning a larger role this year.

Another potential concern with Washington is his small size at 5-8 and 177 pounds, but he's still a strong tackler and plays with a physical edge.

Washington clearly has the inside track towards earning a larger role come the fall, and in Baltimore's stacked secondary, he could be a very important cog in the machine.

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