Ravens: 4 players with the most to prove against Raiders in Week 1
By Kristen Wong
4. Anthony Averett, CB, Ravens
We don’t expect Anthony Averett to replace Marcus Peters, because how can you replace one of the best cornerbacks in the league?
Definitely not with a guy who’s played 30 career games with Baltimore, and even then, he’s never locked down a consistent role on defense.
But if we’re a little harsh on Averett, it’s only because we know the Ravens have (or had) one of the best secondaries in the NFL, and it’s hard for anybody to compete with the likes of Marlon Humphrey and Peters.
Still, the first game will allow Averett to prove his worth not only to Baltimore, but to other teams in the league who might be interested in a potentially starting-caliber corner.
The 2018 fourth-rounder played in 10 games last season, starting four of those, and recorded 47 combined tackles along with seven passes defended.
There’s plenty of reason to believe that on any other team, Averett would be a starter.
It just happens that Humphrey and Peters have been blocking his way into the Ravens’ starting lineup. If Averett plays well enough this season, he could very well take the exit door to another team altogether in the offseason.
At Alabama, Averett didn’t become a defensive starter until his fourth year when he paired with none other than Humphrey to lock down the defensive backfield.
After Humphrey left for the NFL, Averett stepped up to help Alabama win a national championship in the future Pro Bowler’s absence.
This time, Peters is out, and Averett will be reunited with his Alabama teammate on the field once again. The pro league is just slightly different from his collegiate-playing days, but this season opener could be the chance Averett has been waiting three long years for.
He bided his time. Now, he has everything to prove.