Ravens' cornerback exit might signal major progress in the secondary

The Baltimore Ravens transformed almost every position group this offseason. All the team's weak areas appear to have turned into competent, or even intimidating, position groups. That might include the secondary.

Baltimore tied for the second-worst passing defense last year. Fans will see many of the same faces running it back, but offseason developments have given them more hope. The depth looks strong, too.

And Robert Longerbeam’s departure backs that up. Longerbeam didn’t make the team’s 53-man roster, but the Ravens were interested in bringing him back on the practice squad. That didn’t happen, as Longerbeam chose to head elsewhere, joining the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad.

Longerbeam probably saw the writing on the wall. He would’ve had a near-impossible climb to earning even special teams reps. The group is that deep.

They still have to prove themselves, but the secondary looks poised to bounce back.

Baltimore Ravens secondary seems to be in a much better position

Robert Longerbeam was never fighting for more than a backup role within Baltimore’s defense. And to be fair to him, he actually made a pretty strong case. He made plays in training camp, and showed up when the moment came in preseason.

Unfortunately, there were too many other options that were simply better and also had higher ceilings. For a 5-foot-11 corner like Longerbeam, he was duking it out for a spot at slot corner. Keyon Martin and Chandler Rivers won out—they looked amazing in the process.

Martin brings the kind of energy the Ravens need. He’s relentless. Coaches know he can get it done on special teams, which helped make him a roster lock, but he looked strong in his defensive reps as well.

Then there’s Rivers. When Baltimore selected him in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, things got dreary for other slot corners on the roster. He was a standout at Duke, and wasted no time making his presence felt in the NFL.

Rivers was almost impossible to figure out in the preseason. Even at 5-foot-10, he dominated the catch point and limited the damage after the catch. He also showcased lockdown coverage skills en route to a 90.1 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus.

That was best among rookie cornerbacks.

When those two are performing like that, Longerbeam was not going to make the team.

And with that depth, the sky is the limit for this secondary.

The Ravens can’t construct a turnaround if Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins don’t bounce back. That duo made up the top two in yards allowed in coverage in 2025—that can’t happen again. Luckily, they escape a horrendous defensive scheme and join a masterful one.

Jesse Minter is the key here. His Los Angeles Chargers defense had the league’s fifth-best passing defense, allowing 1,157 fewer yards than the Ravens did through the air. That’s insane.

Most notably, Minter does an incredible job of limiting explosive plays. His unit allowed just 37 passing plays of 20+ in 2025. In comparison, Baltimore was dead last with 64 of those.

We started to see that in the preseason, too, as Minter put opposing offenses in a blender through those three weeks.

If the Ravens can keep limiting opposing passing offenses at this rate, they’re going to look scary in 2026. Between the secondary and the pass rush, they may have turned two of the worst units into strengths of the team.

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