Only one NFL team last season allowed more passing yards than the Baltimore Ravens, whose secondary surrendered 4,468 yards on the campaign. The defensive backfield was a glaring weakness on an otherwise prolific squad that reached the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years, and it in many ways negated the stellar production from the league’s most successful offense. It was an issue the franchise instantly addressed this offseason with a number of promising additions to the roster.
Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander is the most recent newcomer and one who could make a difference in maximizing the defensive (and team’s) upside. He signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Ravens after the Green Bay Packers released him following failed contract negotiations.
With Alexander in the room, the Ravens have a plethora of new faces on board. They combine with a group of returners featuring four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marlon Humphrey and two-year starter Kyle Hamilton. Suddenly, Baltimore has a bevy of proven weapons in what could be a much-improved secondary.
“A quote that’s never been said and probably will never be said in NFL history is, ‘We got too many corners that can cover,'” Humphrey said, per the team website. “I think that’s a great problem to have. Really excited for that addition. The options are endless. It’s going to be a fun secondary.”
Signing Jaire Alexander brings Ravens closer to finally breaking through to Super Bowl — but questions remain
Zachary Pereles
In addition to the free agency moves, general manager Eric DeCosta prioritized the group in the 2025 NFL Draft. He took a defensive back in the first round for the second straight year, selecting Georgia Safety Malaki Starks at No. 27 overall. Cornerbacks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam joined the Ravens’ draft class in the sixth round by way of Western Michigan and Rutgers, respectively.
That offseason haul does not even include 2024 first-round selection Nate Wiggins, who could develop into a standout in the back end of the Ravens’ defense. He started six games as a rookie and racked up 13 passes defended with an interception and a forced fumble. He finished 11th in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. Still a relative newcomer to the franchise and to the NFL, Wiggins boasts a tremendous ceiling and is one of the faces of the secondary’s rebuild.
Ravens 2024 pass defense stats, rankings
|
Completions allowed |
396 |
28th |
|
Yards |
4,468 |
31st |
|
Touchdowns |
27 |
T-19th |
|
Interceptions |
12 |
T-17th |
|
Explosive pass plays (20-yards or more) allowed |
58 |
30th |
Baltimore enjoys one of the top offenses in the league on a perennial basis but has yet to put everything together in the Lamar Jackson era. The defense has not been entirely to blame for the team’s consistent running into a brick wall in the playoffs, but it has not always helped given that it tends to put pressure on Jackson, Derrick Henry and the unit on the other side of the ball.
“Wins are getting harder to enjoy based off what we’re doing in the pass defense,” Humphrey said last season. “You know, I feel like when I was a rookie, first-year guy, second-year guy, that’s how I looked up to the standard that was there. In the pass defense, we’ve really lost that standard.”
The Ravens defense under John Harbaugh is traditionally one of the NFL’s best. Perhaps Alexander and the newcomers will help the group return to that standard.
This news was originally published on this post .
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