Baltimore Ravens first round cornerback Marlon Humphrey will make his long awaited preseason debut on Thursday.
So far this preseason we’ve seen all of the Baltimore Ravens rookies on the field, except for one and that player is arguably the most important. First round pick Marlon Humphrey was held out of six practices and missed the team’s first preseason opener because of an undisclosed injury.
After making his return to practice last Saturday, we will finally get to see Humphrey in game this week. He is slated to make his preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins Thursday night. John Harbaugh confirmed the news today.
Rookie CB Marlon Humphrey will make his debut this week vs. Miami.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 15, 2017
This is exciting news for the both Humphrey and the Ravens. After watching the Ravens defense dominant against the Redskins, Humphrey will get to join in on the fun.
I’ll be interested to see where Humphrey lines up on the field, whether it’s on the outside or in the slot. After losing Tavon Young and Maurice Canady, the Ravens are still searching for a starter at the slot corner position. Humphrey is certainly the type of corner that could take the spot. Odds are Dean Pees will move him around and see how he plays at both spots.
The knock against Humphrey has been his coverage against the deep ball. We’ve heard he’s played it well in practice and camp, but he’ll will be tested Thursday night against a very talented Dolphins receiver group. Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and DeVonte Parker all have the ability to be deep threats on the field.
Of course one knock doesn’t take away from Humphrey’s incredible skillset. We saw this at Alabama and it was the reason why he was a first round talent in a deep cornerback draft class. His athleticism and ball skills not only make him a factor in coverage but also on the ball. He’s not afraid to go up and make a play on the quarterback or ball carrier. It will be something to look out for.
All in all, expect Thursday night to be a learning experience for Humphrey. This will be his first time in an NFL game against a different opponent. The speed of the game is not something that you can replicate in practice.