.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
The Baltimore Ravens still want to get strong contributions out of Marlon Humphrey.
At this point in the cornerback's career, though, it seems there's one good way to do that and one bad way to do it.
Humphrey played a lot in the slot in 2025, and it didn't go well.
"In three-cornerback sets last season, Humphrey bumped into the slot for the Ravens, playing 264 snaps at that alignment," ESPN's Ben Solak wrote in a new article on Wednesday. "Among slot defenders with at least 30 targets, he was third worst in coverage success rate."
The Ravens appear to have drafted a potential slot replacement in the fourth round, Duke's Chandler Rivers.
"An undersized but feisty jitterbug cut from the same cloth as D'Angelo Ponds (now with the Jets), Rivers is exactly the sort of player who excels as a 10-year NFL slot corner," Solak writes. "If he hits, he bumps Humphrey back outside, where the veteran was much stronger last season (61.5% coverage success rate relative to the 46.9% he posted inside)."
MORE: Shilo Sanders under fire for telling female reporter to 'make a sandwich'
Solak does point out that Humphrey will be 30 years old this season, and cornerbacks don't always last too long after that.
But at least with the Ravens' choice of Rivers, it seems Humphrey might get the right role for another year or two.
"Rivers is not exactly taking Humphrey's job -- just the half of it that Humphrey isn't as equipped to do anymore," Solak writes. "Humphrey wouldn't compete with Chidobe Awuzie on the outside but would instead immediately slide into that full-time role. His play at his age, however, is something to watch closely."
One thing that the best teams do well is put their players in position to be successful. It appears that's what the Ravens are doing with Humphrey here.
English (US)