The Baltimore Ravens defense isn’t just good, it’s deep too
The Baltimore Ravens defense is not just good it’s deep.
The Baltimore Ravens have a really talented defense heading into the 2017 season. Their starting lineup will look daunting to opponents. At every level of the defense, the Ravens have superstar players. The defensive line is led by Brandon Williams. The linebackers are led by Terrell Suggs and C.J. Mosley. In the back end, the Ravens have Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson. That’s some serious star power.
While every level of the defense has stars leading the way, there is a lot of overall talent at each position. The Ravens drafted Chris Wormley in the third round, who projects to be a starter in September. Bronson Kaufusi missed his rookie season due to injury, but he’s going to light it up in 2017. Carl Davis, and Brent Urban are also a lot to handle in the trenches.
The Ravens linebacker group is all of the sudden fantastic. Matt Judon showed a ton of promise last year, and now he may struggle to see the field. That shows you what kind of talent has been added at outside linebacker. Tyus Bowser and Tim Williams will help Terrell Suggs get after the quarterback. We still have to see how Kamalei Correa fits into the picture.
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In the secondary the Ravens are set. Weddle and Jefferson are the perfect combination. The Ravens can play around with their versatility. Both safeties have the range and the football IQ to play the deep third. Both players can be enforcers in the box, and take out the tight end. Lardarius Webb is a pretty good back up at free safety. Anthony Levine is a player who the Ravens can do a lot of things with.
4 Cornerbacks Who Can Bring It:
If Marlon Humphrey gets off to a fast start, he could become the Ravens number two corner. In any situation where the experienced Brandon Carr is your third best corner, it is good news for the roster. Before the addition of Humphrey, Young was set to be the nickel cornerback. Now the Ravens have four cornerbacks who can get the job done.
Humphrey walks into a rookie season with very little pressure. The Ravens drafted him because of his upside. He was a safe pick who has the potential to be a starter for a long time. With a stacked cornerback group Humphrey could start his career covering the slot receiver. His physicality and his ability to help in run defense would make him a difference maker in this position.
The Bottom Line:
The Ravens defense has been heavily invested in. Re-signing Brandon Williams was an early indication that the Ravens were going all out to keep their tradition of great defense alive. The Ravens traded away Timmy Jernigan and in the process got in better position for the third round. They may have found Jernigan’s replacement in Wormley.
Next: Baltimore Ravens: A Look At The 2017 NFL Draft Class
The purple and black could be dominant on defense. Not only will they have a dominant starting 11, but the Ravens will have players for every situation. The defensive line will stay fresh for a full 60 minutes. There will be a nice rotation at the outside linebacker positions. The Ravens will be able to stay in sub packages in passing situations with great comfort. They have never had this many quality defensive backs. This could be the best secondary in Baltimore since the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV. Hopefully this dominant defense has the same magic as the 2000 team.