Ravens: 3 players who must step up following the Marcus Peters injury

2. Jimmy Smith, CB, Ravens

Jimmy Smith is no stranger to the spotlight in Baltimore. While he’s taken on more of a backseat role in recent years, Smith has done about everything there is to do with the Ravens.

And with 88 career starts under his belt, the Ravens know that they could count on Smith in a starting role if need be. That might just be the case with Peters now done for the year.

The 33-year-old signed a one-year extension with the organization in the offseason and has insisted that he would rather retire than play anywhere else.

Smith probably could have pushed for a starting job on a handful of NFL teams, but he chose to stick with Baltimore instead. Both the team and player are likely happy that decision was made now.

Smith will likely miss the start of the season as he continues to recover from a low-ankle sprain he suffered a little over a month ago. He returned to practice for the first time on Wednesday, but it seems unlikely that he plays in Week 1.

It’s fair to assume that Smith won’t be back on the field until at least Week 2 or 3, but upon his return, expect him to immediately slot in as a defensive contributor.

Despite taking on a lesser role, Smith has still started five games in each of the last two seasons. Expect that trend to continue this year with Peters now out.