Safety Eric Weddle is coming off a Pro Bowl season, but his plans for next season remain uncertain. Cornerback Jimmy Smith played some of his best football down the stretch, but Smith could become a free agent in March if he and the Ravens can't agree on a revised contract.
The Ravens had the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense and a talented secondary led by Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Carr, Smith and Tavon Young at cornerback, with Weddle and Tony Jefferson at safety. The Ravens also drafted two players in 2018 who could play larger roles in 2019 – cornerback Anthony Averett and safety DeShon Elliott.
However, the Ravens wouldn't mind adding some younger pieces. Here are some defensive backs they will watch closely at the Senior Bowl:
S Nasir Adderley, Delaware
Size: 6-foot-0, 195 pounds2018 stats: 87 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 pass breakups
Adderley has been one of Senior Bowl week’s most impressive players, versatile enough to make plays at corner, nickel, and safety. He's smooth, instinctive and has excellent ball skills, evidenced by his 10 interceptions the past two years. The Ravens were tied for 18th in the NFL in interceptions last year, and Adderley's ball-hawking ways could help expand and strengthen their pass coverage. The Ravens have good karma taking former Delaware players in the draft with - quarterback Joe Flacco and tight end Nick Boyle. Adderley could continue that trend.
CB Amani Oruwariye, Penn State*Size:* 6-foot-2, 204 pounds2018 stats: 50 tackles, 3 interceptions, 11 pass breakups
No Penn State cornerback has ever been drafted in the first round, a fact that Oruwariye could change. His size and long arms fit the profile of today's classic cornerback. Smith and Carr played well this season, but they are both in their 30's. Humphrey has the potential to become a star. Adding Oruwariye would give the Ravens a young corner who could be groomed to play opposite the 22-year-old Humphrey for years.
CB Rock Ya-Sin, Temple
Size: 6-foot, 189 pounds
2018 stats: 47 tackles, 2 interceptions, 12 pass breakups
Ya-Sin began his college career at Presbyterian College, but his stock rose quickly after he transferred to Temple. He didn't play organized football until his junior year of high school, so he's done well to develop into an NFL prospect quickly. In 2016, the Ravens drafted Young from Temple in the fourth round, and he has become the Baltimore's best slot corner. Much like Young, Ya-Sin plays bigger than his size and doesn’t shy away from contact. Ya-Sin and Young never played together at Temple, but it would be a cool story if they became teammates in the Ravens' secondary.
CB Lonnie Johnson, Kentucky
Size: 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
2018 stats: 23 tackles, 1 interception, 4 pass breakups
Scouts love Johnson's size, giving him the ability to match up with big receivers. He's another prospect who has played both corner and safety, but he says he prefers playing corner “because that’s where the money is.” Defending the best receivers in the SEC is good preparation to play corner in the NFL, the same experience that Humphrey went through at Alabama. Taking another former SEC corner could work for the Ravens.
S Darnell Savage, Maryland
Size: 5-feet-11, 199 pounds
2018 stats: 52 tackles, 4 interceptions, 2 pass breakups
Savage has a nose for the football and the Ravens are looking to force more turnovers next season. One of Savage's mentors through the draft process is his best friend, former Maryland receiver D.J. Moore, a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers last year who had a productive rookie season. Savage says he's living out his NFL dream in memory of former Maryland teammate Jordan McNair, who collapsed during a team workout last May and died two weeks later. If the Ravens like what they see from Savage during workouts, perhaps they will give him the option of staying local to begin his NFL career.
