The Ravens have the safety depth to replace Marcus Williams

Baltimore Ravens safety Marcus Williams will miss an extended stretch of the 2022 season due to injury, but the team has enough defensive firepower to stay afloat in his absence.

Williams suffered a wrist injury in the first quarter of Week 5’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals and was placed on injured reserve on Monday. The good news for the Ravens is that Williams didn’t suffer a season-ending injury and will likely rejoin the team later in the year.

More good news is that the Ravens are in a better spot this season (compared to last) to replace Williams — rookie Kyle Hamilton and Geno Stone can step in at the position and hopefully prevent the team’s pass defense from slipping further down the rankings.

The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes (subscription required):

"“This is yet another significant injury loss for the Ravens, as Williams was playing well and providing a playmaking element on the back end. However, one positive is the Ravens are relatively deep at safety and have veteran Geno Stone and first-round rookie Kyle Hamilton to step in.”"

The Ravens aren’t worried about their secondary after Marcus Williams injury

Williams was one of the Ravens’ biggest offseason additions and no doubt will be missed. He recorded three picks in his first two games with the team, and despite occasional lapses in coverage, he served as a consistent and productive playmaker.

A small silver lining is that Baltimore arguably already faced its toughest passing offenses having played the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. From Week 6 to Week 12, the only elite quarterback the Ravens will face is Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady.

That being said, Baltimore still owns one of the worst passing defenses in the league, and much of the team’s defensive success relies on Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey staying healthy.

Losing Williams early in the season is less than ideal, but the Ravens are better prepared this time around.

Hopefully, Williams can make a swift recovery and return to the field by the end of November.