Ravens High On New-Look Secondary

The Baltimore Ravens have a good mix of new and old on the backend of the defense.

Nov 25, 2023; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) smiles after breaking up a pass to South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor (8) during the fourth quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. Clemson won 16-7. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Even after finishing as one of the best pass defenses in the league last season, the Baltimore Ravens weren't content to just sit back and rest on their laurels.

Through the draft, Baltimore made two big additions at cornerback in first-round pick Nate Wiggins out of Clemson and fourth-round pick T.J. Tampa Jr. from Iowa State. While the two rookies may not start right away, they give the Ravens some of the best conrerback depth in the league. Considering the quality of receivers in their division and the AFC as a whole, there's no such thing as too much corner depth.

While there were other positions of need on the roster, particularly along the offensive line, but the need for depth in the secondary won out in the end.

“It became apparent that if we didn’t get a corner in the first round, it was going to be challenging to get a really good corner in the second round, third round, fourth round who could help us right away,” general manager Eric DeCosta said, per PressBox.

Baltimore's existing cornerback room is highlighted by former All-Pro Marlon Humphrey and 2023 breakout star Brandon Stephens, but the other corners on the roster deserve some recognition as well. One such player is Arthur Maulet, who quietly put together a very good season for the Ravens last year.

“We all sleep on Arthur. He had a heck of a season for us last year,” DeCosta said.

Another unheralded corner for Baltimore is Damarion "Pepe" Williams, who was in line for the starting nickel role last season before injuries knocked him off course. Now though, he's healthy and ready to claim the role once more.

“It’s hard to play the nickel,” DeCosta said. “It’s a very interesting skill set. You’ve got to be feisty, you’ve got to have some speed, quickness, change of direction, you’ve got to be able to tackle, you’ve got to be able to blitz.”

Essentially, the Ravens have assembled a nice mix of players in terms of both age and skillset. With Humphrey battling through injuries over the past few years and Stephens entering a contract year, future-proofing the secondary was a nice bit of work by DeCosta and co.

"What we’ve done,” DeCosta said, “is build a nice combination of players who can all play multiple spots, which I think is going to give opposing offenses a tough time.”

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