The Baltimore Ravens have gone through a massive transition this offseason, especially on the defensive side. They’ve added star pieces on both the coaching staff and roster to boost an absolutely horrid unit from last year. Still, much of the unit remains, especially with the cornerback battle.
Baltimore’s corners need to take a look in the mirror this offseason. 2025's disaster can’t happen again, so a ton of questions lingering throughout the year. They brought back the same starting trio, so if anyone disappoints again, a backup could emerge with a key role in sight.
That backup could be T.J. Tampa. In an article for BaltimoreRavens.com, Clifton Brown named him as one of his five Ravens in line for bigger roles in 2026. Brown wrote:
“Entering his third season, Tampa has looked solid this spring and early summer. He continues to have a nose for the football. The Ravens haven't added another veteran corner as they did last June when they signed Jaire Alexander. That could be viewed as a vote of confidence for Tampa, who is already a regular on special teams.”
There’s a clear opportunity there for Tampa, and if he continues to impress, he might force Minter to significantly utilize him in the rotation.
Baltimore Ravens have given T.J. Tampa a clear path to breakout
T.J. Tampa was viewed as a breakout candidate by some last year, and it’s easy to see why. When he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many viewed him as one of the steals of the draft. In 2025, he started his first career game and grabbed his first career interception. Unfortunately, he struggled to see consistent playing time on defense.
This year will hopefully be different. The flashes were there, and there’s no better way to make a name for yourself than changing the game on special teams. He led the team in tackles on special teams last season, which may have helped build up some momentum ahead of 2026.
If that did provide any sort of momentum, Tampa has used it to his advantage in offseason workouts. He was a standout for pretty much the entirety of the Ravens’ offseason program. That could definitely put him on Jesse Minter’s good side, and if that’s not enough, Tampa could find himself on the verge of playing time due to injury concerns throughout the rest of the group.
Marlon Humphrey and Chidobe Awuzie come with injury concerns that you simply cannot ignore. Humphrey fought through injuries last year and has seen his fair share of bumps and bruises across his nine-year career. In Awuzie’s case, he hasn’t put together back-to-back campaigns of 15-plus games since 2018 and 2019.
With that in mind, the decision to roll into 2026 with largely the same cornerbacks is an indicator that there’s growing faith in Tampa. He’s really the only backup outside corner with at least some sort of experience. That should put Tampa in position to see the field more and more as an actual defender, not just a special teamer.
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