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Baltimore Ravens: The Secondary Is Stacked And Stocked

By Chris Schisler

Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) during warm-ups before the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) during warm-ups before the 2016 CFP Semifinal against the Washington Huskies at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Baltimore Ravens secondary is now fully stocked. They could have one of the best secondaries in the league after drafting Marlon Humphrey with the 16th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens secondary has been a problem for a while. That problem has been officially been solved. The Ravens signed Tony Jefferson to pair him with Eric Weddle. They now have two veteran safeties with Pro Bowl caliber talent. They now have four cornerbacks who can impress. The Ravens now have talent on top of talent in the back end of their already strong defense.

Marlon Humphrey is a really good football player. He is going to be a starting cornerback in the NFL for a long time. With Brandon Carr and Tavon Young already on board, Humphrey doesn’t need to come in and be a superstar. He will have ups and downs in his rookie season, but he could end up being a game changer quickly into his career.

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Remember when the Dallas Cowboys found the weak link in Shareece Wright and picked at it with a vengeance? Opponents won’t be able to do that in 2017. Jimmy Smith is a good cornerback. When he is in the game, there is an obvious difference. Pairing him with Marlon Humphrey is exciting.

The combination of Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson can’t be talked about enough. Both players can do both jobs in the back end. It gives the Ravens flexibility and it gives them options in disguising the defense. The most important thing to note here, is that you have two leaders that will prevent a lot of bad things from happening.

Next: Ravens Select Marlon Humphrey: Instant Reaction

The Bottom Line:

Ravens fans can complain about the pick of Humphrey, but they shouldn’t. The fan base has been starving and begging for a good secondary. Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens’ brass listened and invested in the cornerback and safety positions. The secondary has been upgraded in the past two seasons. That’s good news for a defense that is going to have to be the reason the Ravens win games in 2017.

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