Ravens Rookie CB to Undergo Knee Surgery

It's been a rough past few days for the Baltimore Ravens' secondary to say the least.

On Thursday, sixth-round rookie Bilhal Kone suffered a gruesome knee injury in the first quarter of the preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, putting a huge damper on what was otherwise a very solid start to the preseason. Then on Saturday, the Ravens placed fellow sixth-round rookie Robert Longerbeam on season-ending injured reserve. So, both of the cornerbacks they drafted are now lost for the season before it could even begin.

It likely won't come as a surprise, but Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced Monday that Longerbeam will undergo surgery on his knee. Kone hasn't had the same confirmation, but it sounds like he will have surgery as well, if he hasn't already.

"It's something that was deemed that surgery was the best move for him, and that's good," Harbaugh told reporters. "That's a decision that every player has a right to make, and we support it. So, that's what he's going to do.

"I love him [and] the way he was playing. He was playing really well, and it's a little bit of a setback, for sure, because I was kind of starting to count on him and count on [Bilhal Kone], too. Those two guys were really looking like they could help us this year, but they're not going to be there. So, we'll get them in rehab, and they'll be back next year."

Harbaugh has been oddly vague when it comes to Longerbeam's injury, which was only revealed to be a meniscus tear on Monday. He questioned whether or not he was even allowed to discuss the details of the injury on Monday, and on Sunday, he described it as simply "a long story" and added "I couldn't even really explain it to you."

Longerbeam, the No. 212 pick in this year's draft, appeared in 53 games over his five years at Rutgers. In that time, he accounted for 154 total tackles (five for loss), 37 pass breakups, five interceptions, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

While neither Longerbeam nor Kone were slated to start this year, their losses have a significant impact on the Ravens' depth at cornerback. They did bring in second-year pro M.J. Devonshire, a 2024 seventh-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders who spent last year on their practice squad, but those losses still very much hurt.