Baltimore Ravens will have top cornerback duo in 2018
Jacksonville’s A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey had their 30 seconds of fame. It’s Jimmy Smith and Marlon Humphrey’s time now, with the Baltimore Ravens, as the league’s top cornerback duo.
The Baltimore Ravens have two stellar cornerbacks. Move over and get out of the way, Jacksonville. There’s a new sheriff in town. Or rather, sheriffs.
Jimmy Smith and Marlon Humphrey were the most unheralded cornerback duo in the NFL in 2017. That narrative will change in 2018, however.
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As we all know, Jimmy Smith has been on of the league’s best cornerbacks over the last couple seasons. Meanwhile, Marlon Humphrey was outstanding as a rookie and will look to continue his streak into 2018. Baltimore Ravens fans know this, but soon the entire league will know it.
This is because these two have nowhere else to go but up. Smith and Humphrey are both prototypical size for number one cornerbacks, standing at 6’2″ and 6’0″ respectively. Having two guys who can lock-down opposing team’s top receiver is invaluable in today’s NFL.
We’ve seen plenty of dynamic cornerback duos over the last few years, perhaps 2018 will be the year Smith and Humphrey etch their names into that category. There isn’t too much to complain about between the two. The duo might be so good, in fact, that they alone could make this entire defense better.
The no-fly zone?
Ravens Flock, we need a nickname for this duo immediately. Forget the defense (which might need a nickname itself), Jimmy Smith and Marlon Humphrey need a nickname of their own. Without anything jumping off the page, the “no-fly zone” nickname can be borrowed here.
While neither are ball magnets, both are physical, lock-down guys who take away their respective half of the fields. From there, it’s amazing what great a cornerback duo can do for your team. Because with nowhere to throw, this will lead to sacks and turnovers from the rest of the defense.
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The Ravens pass rush isn’t stellar, but having that extra second-or-two to get to the quarterback because of tight coverage can make a world of difference. Meanwhile, quarterbacks force balls from pressure and a lack of an open field and make costly mistakes.
Everything starts and ends with these two cornerbacks. Jimmy Smith and Marlon Humphrey are bound to be outstanding in 2018. With a defense set to dominate once again, it shouldn’t be a shock to anyone to see these two headline the Ravens 2018 defensive unit.