Ravens Coach Predicts Big Year From Rising DB

Baltimore Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington could be poised for a big season.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by Baltimore Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington (29) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

With some of the turnover the Baltimore Ravens defense has undergone this offseason, opportunities are there for different players to step up and be key contributors this season.

That could pave the way for a player on his way to being a central figure in the Ravens' league-leading defense before an injury cut his season short. Safety Ar'Darius Washington has impressed in training camp, and Ravens first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr expects the fourth-year safety from TCU to have a breakout season.

"He was great for us last year before he got hurt, and he's going to continue to get better and better and better," Orr said on Tuesday. "He plays all over the secondary. He's a scrappy guy, he's explosive, he's a takeaway machine. I can sit up here and talk to you all day about 'A.D.' – we love him. It's great to see him healthy, it's great to see him having a great camp, and he's going to do great things for us this year."

After appearing in just six games through his first two seasons, Washington made his presence felt in Baltimore's 2023 season-opener with six tackles, including one for a loss, one quarterback hit, one sack and one pass defended in a 25-9 win over the Houston Texans. His play against Houston and an injury to Marcus Williams, led to Washington making the first start of his career in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Washington had a similarly productive outing against the Ravens' AFC North rival with five tackles, one quarterback hit and a pass defended, but a chest injury ultimately led to the 24-year-old safety missing the rest of the regular season. Washington returned in the playoffs but primarily played on special teams.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has also spoken highly of Washington's play throughout training camp and lauded the versatility he has displayed.

"He's playing at a high level; you saw it today," Harbaugh said on Monday. "He's playing both safety positions, [and] he's playing the nickel. And he can play either corner outside, if he had to, to get you out of a game, and he can go in a dime if he had to – he knows the defense that well. His style is pretty much patented, that's his style [and] the way he plays. I think it's a style worthy of emulating, so [I'm] very glad he's on our team."

With former Ravens safety Geno Stone leaving in free agency to sign with the Bengals, there's a viable path for Washington to pick up where he left off last season. If he can continue to play at a high level and become a focal point on Baltimore's defense, that would go a long way toward it remaining among the league's elite defenses this season.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Ravens Rookie 'Mr. Iowa' Drawing Praise From Veterans
• Ravens Rivals on Verge of Brandon Aiyuk Deal
• Ravens Getting Even More From Kyle Van Noy
• Ravens Rookie Earns High Grade in Preseason Debut
• Ravens Feel Good About New-Look Pass Rush