Ravens Want to Keep All Pro In Optimized Role

"I love Marlon [Humphrey] anywhere," Harbaugh said at the annual league meetings on Monday. "I like him on the field, but I do like him inside. He's a game changer in there. Nobody plays like Marlon. There's no nickel who plays the way Marlon plays in the slot. He can play outside with the best of them, but I don't think there's anybody like Marlon in the slot."

When the Ravens' defense needed a big play to force a turnover or come up with a clutch stop, Humphrey answered the call more than any other player on the unit. He finished with a career-high and AFC-leading six interceptions including the first pick-six of his professional career and second since the season-opener of his junior year at University of Alabama.

Humphrey was lights out in coverage, allowing second-lowest passer rating among cornerbacks who saw 75 or more targets last season with a mark of 58.5. He also finished with 67 total tackles including a career-high five for loss, two forced fumbles, half a sack, four quarterback hits and tied his career-high in pass breakups with 15.

For Humphrey to continue splitting his time between the two roles or even get play predominantly in the slot in 2025, the Ravens needed to reinforce their corner depth chart. After losing two-year starter Brandon Stephens in free agency to the New York Jets on a lucrative deal, they began the fortification process by signing veteran salary cap casualty Chidobe Awuzie to a one-year contract last week.

"That was a huge signing for us," Harbaugh said. "He's been one of the highest-ranked corners when he's been healthy. So, our goal is to get him back out there, get him healthy, really work with all the soft tissue stuff, and try to do the best we can to bring him back to where he [get to] his high level of play, so he should help us."

The Ravens also have a pair of former fourth-round picks who have struggled with injuries during their respective young careers who Harbaugh said will be "in the mix" to compete to fill that role as well, T.J. Tampa (2024) and Jalyn Armour-Davis (2022).

"I think T.J. is going to take a big step," Harbaugh said. "Jalyn has always been talented, and he's always played well when he has been out there. "

Both of the Ravens' starting safeties, Kyle Hamilton and Ar'Darius Washington, possess positional flexibility to play in the slot as well and Harbaugh said they "could definitely add a guy in the draft too." Versatility is one of the most desirable traits most teams in the league look for but especially in Baltimore where they love to deploy packages with multiple defensive backs to disguise pressures and coverages.