One Baltimore Ravens veteran who fans will say is on the hot seat is Marlon Humphrey. The veteran corner is a four-time Pro Bowler, but his performance dipped this past season, leaving fans to wonder about his future in Baltimore.
That questioning got especially loud when the Ravens selected cornerback Chandler Rivers in the fifth round of the 2026 Draft. While Rivers is a fifth rounder, he was a steal and has the potential to push Humphrey, who has been playing in the slot, out of the starting spot there. That could be viewed as a bad thing, but it actually may be exactly what Humphrey needs.
Marlon Humphrey is much better on the outside than in the slot, so Rivers emerging as a valuable slot option for Baltimore would give Humphrey the opportunity to go back outside.
Rookie corner Chandler Rivers could help Marlon Humphrey turn things around
NFL analyst Ben Solak recently pointed this out in an ESPN piece highlighting veterans who are on the hot seat after the draft. Solak detailed how Humphrey was the corner to slide into the slot in three cornerback sets, and how he didn’t necessarily get the job done there. That’s why Rivers has him on the hot seat as a slot corner, but not as a starter for the Ravens defense.
"In three-cornerback sets last season, Humphrey bumped into the slot for the Ravens, playing 264 snaps at that alignment. Among slot defenders with at least 30 targets, he was third worst in coverage success rate. The Ravens need a better nickel option, and that's Chandler Rivers, the fifth-rounder out of Duke. An undersized but feisty jitterbug … Rivers is exactly the sort of player who excels as a 10-year NFL slot corner. If he hits, he bumps Humphrey back outside, where the veteran was much stronger last season (61.5% coverage success rate relative to the 46.9% he posted inside)."Ben Solak (ESPN)
If Rivers is ready to be a day-one contributor in Baltimore, Humphrey and Nate Wiggins will be the two corners on the outside, and the fifth-round rookie will be the one playing on the inside. Everyone, including Humphrey, will likely acknowledge that’s a good idea. Baltimore will be able to improve defensively, and they’ll have much more depth in the secondary.
For Marlon Humphrey, it’ll give him the opportunity to lineup full time at his best position, and hopefully get back in the good graces of Ravens fans. The corner has been in Baltimore since being drafted by the team in the first round of the 2017 Draft. In the last nine years, he has put together a really good career, making two All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowls.
Turning 30 in July, it’s now time for Humphrey to prove that he still has it. He might be able to do that with the help of rookie corner Chandler Rivers.
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