Ravens Secondary Preview: No-Fly Zone?

It's been said many times before and will be said many times again, but the 2024 season truly was a tale of two halves for the Baltimore Ravens' secondary.

Throughout the first half of the season, the Ravens' secondary was absolutely dreadful, allowing nearly 300 passing yards per game and being on pace to become one of the the worst passing defenses of the past decade.

In the second half, however, the secondary started playing like one of the best in the league, allowing 200 passing yards just twice in their final nine games (including playoffs). The improvement was not only a reflection of key personnel changes, most notably the insertion of Ar'Darius Washington into the starting lineup, but also Zach Orr's growth throughout his first year as defensive coordinator.

However, those aforementioned lineup changes left the Ravens quite lacking in depth throughout the secondary, thus creating significant questions heading into the 2025 campaign. Fortunately, they did just about everything they could to bolster the unit.

At cornerback, All-Pro Marlon Humphrey and 2024 first-round pick Nate Wiggins, but the supporting cast around them is very different. Two-time Pro Bowler Jaire Alexander joined the Ravens as their patented late offseason signing, while Chidobe Awuzie provides some crucial depth on a team-friendly deal. While the loss of Brandon Stephens — who signed with the New York Jets in free agency — looms large, the unit has definitely seen an upgrade overall.

"A quote that's never been said and probably will never be said in NFL history is, 'We've got too many corners that can cover,' so I think that's a great problem to have, and I'm really excited for that addition [of Alexander]," Humphrey told reporters on June 18.

Safety may be even more fascinating to watch. Losing Washington for most of, if not the entire season due to an Achilles tear hurts, there's no denying that. However, the addition of first-round pick Malaki Starks is massive, and him and Kyle Hamilton will make a dangerous pairing.

"Obviously, [I am] sick about what happened to 'A.D.', and [I am] thinking about him, [sending] prayers for him, but I mean, that allows Malaki to grow up quicker now, but I think he's just the right guy for it," Hamilton told reporters. "I'm excited for him. He's going to do very well with the opportunity, and he's going to have a great career."

The Ravens made another big addition to the secondary, bringing back Chuck Pagano as a senior assistant. The former Indianapolis Colts head coach brings a wealth of experience to a relatively young unit, and his expertise will be much appreciated.

Baltimore is facing more pressure than ever to win a Super Bowl, and in order to get there, it will need the secondary to consistently play the way it did in the second half of last season, if not better.