Heading into the 2022 NFL off-season, the Baltimore Ravens cornerbacks needed more depth. They addressed this through free agency and the NFL Draft, adding Kyle Fuller (free agency), Jalyn Armour-Davis (draft) and Damarion Williams (draft).
As it stands, the Ravens have three bonafide starters at the position, in the form of Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Fuller. They will be aided by a talented safety duo in the form of Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams.
What needs to be settled, however, is how the Ravens depth pieces at cornerback will fit in. These include the aforementioned Armour-Davis and Williams as well as Brandon Stephens, Kevon Seymour and Chuck Clark, among others.
Baltimore Ravens Cornerbacks: Training Camp Preview
The Starting Three
Humphrey and Peters will undoubtedly be the starting outside cornerbacks for the Ravens in 2022/23. Though injuries have affected Peters’ career of late, when healthy, he is one of the best perimeter cornerbacks in the league.
Fuller has outside versatility, providing some much-needed veteran depth, but will likely find a starting role as a slot cornerback. He is a versatile player, who could also fill in at free safety if required.
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Kevon Seymour
Seymour is one of the most experienced backup cornerbacks on the roster, at 28-years-old. He has bounced around a few teams in his career so far, despite having a promising start as a rookie with the Buffalo Bills in 2016.
While Seymour has yet to make a real impression on the league, he is a solid backup for the Ravens. He has yet to record his first career interception. The former Carolina Panther spent 2021 on the Ravens practice squad but did enough to earn a contract for the 2022/23 season after starting five games.
Seymour is primarily a boundary cornerback and will likely provide depth as the third or fourth outside cornerback for the Ravens, just like he did during the 2021/22 season.
Jalyn Armour-Davis
Armour-Davis was one of the Ravens’ whopping 11 selections in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, that does not do justice the amount of expectation that he has generated. The former Alabama player joins a team that has a long history with his college. Indeed, fellow cornerback Humphrey also played his college football at Alabama.
Armour-Davis figures as a project player for the Ravens this year. He will not find much game-time unless there are injuries ahead of him. Having been just a one-year starter at Alabama, most of Armour-Davis’ draft value came due to his ideal size (6’1”) and elite athleticism. His flaws are mostly in technique, making him more of a developmental player with high upside for now.
For the 2022/23 NFL season, Armour-Davis will most likely find himself as the fourth or fifth perimeter cornerback on this team. He has the upside to be much higher, however.
Iman Marshall
Iman Marshall has had a rough start to his NFL career due to a series of season-ending injuries. The third-year professional has only played three games (started none) since he was drafted in 2019.
It is hard to determine where Marshall will find space on the depth chart, given his injury history. If he can stay healthy, however, he could provide some valuable depth as a backup outside cornerback. If Marshall cannot stay healthy, his future with the team, and in the league, will certainly be cast into doubt as he approaches the end of his rookie contract.
Chuck Clark
The Ravens injuries in the 2021/22 season were nothing short of derailing. One player that was able to find a silver lining, however, was Clark.
Clark was forced to play cornerback in a pinch due to injuries at the position. While he had his fair share of struggles, he was solid given the circumstances. With the cornerback room now rejuvenated, it is more than likely that Clark will return to the safety position.
Clark’s value to the Ravens extends beyond his contributions on the field, and so it is highly unlikely that he will be a cap casualty. Expect Clark to be the primary backup safety who provides depth as a nickel cornerback.
Brandon Stephens
Stephens is another Raven with some degree of coverage versatility. A third-round pick in 2021, Stephens struggled as a rookie, and was largely played as a safety after DeShon Elliott was placed on injured reserve.
Out of Southern Methodist University, Stephens was a raw prospect who had little experience playing cornerback. He lacks the ball skills and press coverage to become a man-to-man outside cornerback – but his aggressive tackling gives him value as a potential slot.
After a full season in the league, it will be interesting to see what the Ravens do with Stephens. Will they find more use for him as a backup safety, or can he cement a role in the slot cornerback rotation? Depending on how his development has gone, Stephens could provide value at either safety or slot cornerback. His natural traits align him more as a slot cornerback, but the Ravens could find him more playing time as a safety.
Damarion ‘Pepe’ Williams
The rookie Williams was selected 22 picks after Armour-Davis, but has turned heads in the Ravens facility already, with many coaches praising him for playing with a ‘fire’.
Coming out of Houston, Williams did not boast the same athletic profile that Armour-Davis had. Instead, Williams’ big-play ability and aggressive tackling were what shone through.
While ‘Pepe’ possesses some coverage versatility (which is highly useful in the Ravens’ scheme), he best projects as a slot cornerback. His best moments in college football came when assisting in run-defense and playing in zone coverage. The upcoming season could see Williams feature as the second or third slot cornerback for the Ravens.
Ar’Darius Washington
Washington spent the 2021/22 season on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending injury. The 2021 UDFA was an intriguing prospect, who many considered a steal for the Ravens. Washington has solid athletic traits and boasts exceptional versatility.
At just 5’8”, Washington best projects as a box safety. His coverage skills mean that the Ravens could also deploy him as a slot cornerback though. Expect Washington to primarily play as a safety but, in the case of injuries, he could be used more in the slot.
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