2. Marlon Humphrey, CB, Ravens
We had a hard time picking between Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, but we ultimately went with Humphrey since he suffered the less severe injury.
Humphrey was diagnosed with a season-ending right pectoral muscle tear in December, but his rehabilitation seems to be going well and he should be ready by the start of the 2022 season. Once he re-enters the fold, we’d expect the Ravens’ pass defense to jump up to the middle of the pack after being ranked last in the league in 2021.
The 25-year-old corner has two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro honor to his name, racking up nine interceptions and 12 forced fumbles in his five seasons in Baltimore. Humphrey played just 12 games last year and recorded 58 combined tackles, 13 passes defended, and one interception, a far cry from his usual elite form. When he’s on top of his game, though, he can easily be considered the team’s most premier pass defender, and he and Peters make quite the formidable backfield tandem.
Once you factor in new safety Marcus Williams, Humphrey has an all-star cast surrounding him and is due for a career-best season in 2022. In the ultra-tough AFC, Humphrey will be tasked with defending some of the most elite wideouts including Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, Bucs’ Mike Evans, and Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, but best believe he’s stepping onto the field in 2022 with a vengeance.
No one’s getting by him this year — not that easily, anyway.