Ravens Secondary Pieces Among Most Valuable Players

The Baltimore Ravens' most valuable player is a question that requires little thought. Lamar Jackson doesn't just play the most important position at quarterback, but does so at a league-leading level, having clinched several MVP wins and regularly guiding his team to championship conversations.

But after Jackson, the conversation as to the next-most valuable Ravens opens up to various contributors lining the talented roster. ESPN's Bill Barnwell considered several Pro Bowlers when running through the exercise of openly wondering which NFL players would fetch the deepest trade hauls at their present states, and ended up favoring one of Baltimore's deepest position groups.

The Ravens went all-in on their defense this summer, adding to a once-spotty secondary with key veterans and versatile draftees to consolidate the most loaded section of the roster. Of the ten Ravens mentioned somewhere in Barnwell's writeup after his section on Jackson, four occupy the team's defensive backfield.

None were listed as highly as Kyle Hamilton, the Defensive Player of the Year candidate lining up at safety. He was predicted by ESPN to bring back two first-round picks, below the four that Jackson's valued at, but still a major haul should the Ravens inexplicably put him up for trade.

"He was the best player on one of the best defenses of the past decade, the 2023 Ravens, and then transformed Baltimore into an elite unit when coordinator Zach Orr moved him back to free safety in the second half of last season," Barnwell wrote. "He's a better player than Jamal Adams was in 2020, when the Seahawks sent two first-round picks to acquire the then-Jets standout."

Hamilton wasn't even the only safety who received a shoutout, with rookie standout Malaki Starks expected to recoup the means that Baltimore spent on originally claiming him. He's looked all the part of the first-round pick he was originally worth, and should bring back at least an equivalent pick from a suitor.

Nate Wiggins was similarly valued at at least one first-round pick, another key young presence in Baltimore's secondary at cornerback. He, alongside Jaire Alexander and Marlon Humphrey, will share reps on the top wide receivers they'll face week-to-week.

"According to the FTN Football Almanac, Wiggins' 63% success rate when targeted in coverage was the league's fourth-best mark among all cornerbacks, just ahead of DeJean, who finished sixth. The No. 30 pick in last year's draft doesn't turn 22 until the end of August, giving the Ravens yet another young building block on defense."

Humphrey also earned a mention further down the list, a Pro Bowler in his own right with a few more miles on his treads. He's been a more consistent presence than the oft-injured Alexander, one of the longest-tenured regulars in the Ravens' defense, though he did get dinged for some time he missed in 2024. He rounds out a positive interpretation of one of the NFL's best secondaries, a group with a balanced mixture of present and future help.