What do you get when one starting cornerback signs elsewhere, another gets released, and you’re coming off the second-worst pass defense in the league? If you’re the Baltimore Ravens, you call it: opportunity.
Just last season, it was rookie corner Nate Wiggins who took full advantage of his shot. After an early-season car accident, the 21-year-old Clemson product stepped in opposite Brandon Stephens and didn’t look back. In 15 games, he gave up just 31 completions on 62 targets, racked up 13 pass breakups, and didn’t allow a single touchdown. His emergence pushed Marlon Humphrey into the slot, where he earned All-Pro honors.
With Stephens off to the New York Jets, there is an opportunity open for whoever wants it. The Ravens signed veteran Chidobe Awuzie to compete for the job, but he'll have to earn it. In the mix will be second-year corner T.J. Tampa—and if Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron has any say—a Day 2 prospect with tremendous upside.
Ravens listed as best Day 2 fit for Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison
Benjamin Morrison could be Baltimore-bound on April 25. Not only is there an open spot in the cornerback room for the 21-year-old, but the fit in Zach Orr's defensive system is also a major plus, as Cameron alludes to:
"With just five cornerbacks on their roster as it’s currently constructed, the Ravens could make excellent use of Morrison’s skill set as a long, smooth-moving man cornerback. Baltimore ran a top-10 rate of Cover 1 in 2024, making Morrison a natural fit after Notre Dame ran the most Cover 1 in the FBS last season."
Morrison was widely considered a first-round pick at the beginning of the 2024 college football season. However, a hip injury in early October cost him the season and required surgery, so there are legitimate injury concerns with his recovery and ability to bounce back.
Morrison racked up nine interceptions and 19 pass breakups in 31 career games. He’s instinctive with the ball in the air and plays with a calm, calculated approach downfield. He keeps good leverage, times his jumps well, and knows how to disrupt at the catch point. Notre Dame used him outside and in the slot, and that kind of flexibility makes him more valuable. The ball production, the poise, the versatility—all of it makes him a nice fit.
He’s not the most explosive athlete, and quicker receivers can shake him at the top of routes. There’s some stiffness in his transitions, and he’ll occasionally bite too hard in zone coverage. But in a Cover 1-heavy defense that lets corners press and play downhill? He fits. Morrison plays smart, plays physical, and finds the football. On Day 2, that’s a bet worth making.
The thought of pairing Morrison and Wiggins together for the foreseeable future is almost too good to pass up. And if he’s still on the board when the Ravens are back on the clock at No. 59? That kind of value doesn’t fall in your lap often. When it does, Eric DeCosta usually doesn’t miss.