It’s Marlon Humphrey’s time to shine for the Ravens

With Jimmy Smith out for the season, it’s time for rookie cornerback Marlon Humphrey to step up for the Baltimore Ravens.

For the second year in a row, the Baltimore Ravens will be without their No. 1 cornerback down the final stretch of the season. Jimmy Smith has played like an All-Pro when on the field but hasn’t been able to stay healthy over the course of his seven-year career. Last year, his ankle injury was devastating and the Ravens couldn’t suffice for the loss. There were depth problems and opposing teams exposed that.

This year, things are different. Even with Smith, the secondary had been a weak link for the defense over the years. The Ravens never had the solid depth that could step in until this year. Ozzie Newsome parted ways with Jerraud Powers and Shareece Wright and brought in quality depth. He signed veteran Brandon Carr in free agency and drafted rookie Marlon Humphrey in the first-round of the NFL draft. Now that Smith is out for the foreseeable future, it’s time for Humphrey to step up and shine in a starting role.

Humphrey was drafted into the ideal situation with the Ravens. With Smith and Carr on the outside, Humphrey wasn’t expected to come in and start right away. He’s had time to learn and develop in Dean Pees’ defense throughout most of the season. When given the opportunity, he’s impressed.

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Humphrey has been one of the top rookie cornerbacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus and rightfully so.

Humphrey fits right into the Ravens physical style of defense. That’s the kind of play style he thrived on in college and we’ve seen that so far as a rookie. Along with pass coverage, he’s not afraid to break down and make a tackle on the defender. That’s an extremely important trait for a cornerback that’s often overlooked by many.

You won’t see many teams fighting for a playoff spot start a rookie cornerback. It speaks volumes to Humphrey’s ability that the Ravens feel confident starting him the rest of the season. The task won’t be easy by any means. The Ravens still face top wide receivers in Antonio Brown, T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green and Josh Gordon. Humphrey struggled against Marvin Jones on Sunday and will need to step up and play his best football the final weeks of the season.

Cornerback is easily the toughest position to play on the defensive side of the ball. You’re subject to a penalty almost every play and wide receivers have the advantage knowing the routes they’re running. The  Ravens feel Marlon Humphrey is the future for them at cornerback and they’ll get an early glimpse of that.

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Humphrey’s got the golden opportunity, now it’s time for him to take it and help lead the Ravens to a playoff berth and more the rest of the season.