Baltimore Ravens safety, Marcus Williams, is looking “confident and aggressive” during OTAs. According to Clifton Brown, a Ravens staff writer, Williams has stood out this off-season. He also added that Williams was “flying all over the secondary”.
Marcus Williams Impressing at OTAs
What Does 2023 Have In Store For Marcus Williams?
Williams is entering his second year in Mike MacDonald’s defense after signing as a big-ticket free agent. The 26-year-old was one of Baltimore’s best defensive playmakers at the start of last season, making key interceptions and leading the safety room.
However, a wrist injury sent the star safety to the IR. After returning, Williams continued to play well but could not recapture his playmaking form in the early portion of 2022.
This off-season, the Ravens defense has garnered a lot of attention. Their trade for Roquan Smith elevated their defense to elite levels last year. The hope is that MacDonald’s defense continues that trajectory as a top unit in 2023.
Should Baltimore have one of the league’s best defenses, Williams would have played a big part in that. As such, Brown notes that 2023 could be the first year Williams is named to the Pro Bowl.
In 2022, Williams made 61 tackles, two for-loss, four interceptions, eight pass defenses and one fumble recovery. In the first four weeks of the season, before his wrist injury, Williams had 24 tackles, one for-loss, three picks and five pass defenses.
Had he maintained that momentum through the whole season, he would have finished the year with 102 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, 13 interceptions and 21 pass defenses. Those numbers are completely unrealistic, but the extrapolation is testament to how well Williams started the year (even without a fully healthy secondary and Smith).
In 2023, it would be unrealistic to expect Williams to have 13 picks. That level of production is impossible to expect over a full season. It is also worth noting that the likes of Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey and Smith will all compete with Williams for big plays.
What About Baltimore’s Other OTA Standouts?
Aside from Williams, Brown mentioned a few other standout performers at Baltimore’s OTAs. Geno Stone was a name that came up. The recently re-signed safety was an underrated contributor in 2022’s defense amidst Williams’ injury. He is expected to see important snaps as the team’s third safety this year.
Another position group that is “flashing”? The tight ends. While Mark Andrews will always impress, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar have also showed growth from their rookie year.
A name that some ravens fans may not have heard of is Malik Hamm. According to Brown, Hamm “could be an unheralded player to watch”. Brown had this to say about Hamm’s OTA performances:
“A Baltimore native, Hamm was Lafayette’s all-time career sacks leader and made his presence felt during Thursday’s practice. If he keeps stacking days, Hamm could earn himself a longer look.”
Hamm was an UDFA (undrafted free agent) who was a priority signing by Eric DeCosta’s front office. But he is not the only rookie that has impressed the coaching staff this off-season. While Zay Flowers has surprised coaches with his athleticism, Trenton Simpson and UDFA Keaton Mitchell are also impressing.
There is a good feeling around Baltimore right now. They were recently ranked as the eighth ‘most complete team’ by Jared Dubin of CBS Sports and that confidence can be found on the practice field.
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