Ravens Face Tough Decisions With Young Defensive Backs

Several playmakers pushing for a roster spot.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens coach John Harbaugh knows he has some decisions to make with several of the team's young defensive backs. 

Safeties Geno Stone and Ar'Darius Washington have flashed throughout the preseason. Despite one hiccup against the Panthers in the second preseason game, cornerback Chris Westry has been dominant in one-on-one matchups. Nigel Warrior, who made the switch from safety to cornerback has also played well. 

The Ravens added two more young playmakers — Brandon Stephens and Shaune Wade — in this year's NFL draft. 

“[They’re making it] very difficult, very difficult," Harbaugh said. "It’s a great problem to have. It’s the problem that you work very hard to have in terms of acquiring players and developing player, and all the things we do in the weight room, the meeting room [and] the practice field to help those guys be the best they can be. 

"The effort they put in to play like that and to see them play like that is really rewarding. It’s a great problem, but it’s a tough problem.”

The Ravens will carry six or seven cornerbacks with Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Tavon Young, Jimmy Smith, Anthony Averett, Westry, Wade and Warrior all in the mix. 

Khalil Dorsey and Iman Marshall have been placed on IR. 

They could carry four safeties with Chuck Clark, DeShon Elliott, Jordan Richards, Anthony Levins Stone, Stephens and Washington competing for spots. 

Some of these players could make their way to the practice squad. 

“Personally, I’m very impressed, and just talking to other guys in the first group, we’re all trying to pull those guys along, get them better and make them the best players that they can possibly be because we can see a lot of the talent in all those guys," Clark said. "The sky is the limit for a lot of those guys. We saw in the first game, all of them made a play in some type of way, and even today, they carried over, as well.”