Ravens CB Signing Opens Up Draft Possibilities

The Baltimore Ravens now have far more options available to them in the NFL Draft.

Sep 15, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (13) takes the field during the first half against the New York Jets during the first halfat Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens had a glaring need at cornerback after the initial waves of free agency, and as they often do, they solved it in a savvy way.

On Tuesday, the Ravens signed veteran corner Chidobe Awuzie to a one-year deal. Awuzie, who signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Tennessee Titans laast offseason, brings eight year of experience to the table, and gives the Ravens another starting-caliber corner alongside Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey. It also gives them the flexibility to continue using Humphrey in the slot, where he primarily played last season en route to six interceptions and a first-team All-Pro nod.

Speaking of flexibility, the Awuzie signging gives the Ravens plenty of it for the rest of the offseason, but particularly the NFL Draft.

With the free agent market dwindling, it looked like the Ravens might've had to turn to the NFL Draft to find another starting corner, but their position at No. 27 would've made things awkward. The top corners in the class will likely be gone before they're on the clock, while the second-tier players likely would be a reach at No. 27.

Now that cornerback is far less of a glaring need, they have far more freedom on what to do with that pick. They could still use another corner, but now they don't have as much pressure to draft one immediately.

Granted, the Ravens have always preferred to take a best-player-available approach, and they likely would've done so even without this signing, but now they can do so without any second thoughts.

"It really comes down to the best player at the time," general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters at the combine. "We're always going to say that. It's something that we've said every single year, starting back to 1996 with Ozzie as the GM."

The Ravens consistently do a great job in keeping their options open at the draft, and this is but another example of that.

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