Deep pool of defensive backs could help upgrade secondary
Ramsey, Hargreaves, Apple, Alexander, Fuller atop list
Is Florida State's Jalen Ramsey an NFL cornerback or safety? Is Florida's Vernon Hargreaves too small? Will Virginia Tech's Kendall Fuller be healthy enough to contribute as a rookie? Why didn't Clemson's Mackensie Alexander have an interception in his two college seasons?
As the Ravens prepare for the April draft, their effort to fix a mistake-prone secondary that made few big plays remains a priority. In the eyes of one prominent draft analyst, this year's prospect class represents a good opportunity to do it.
“The two deepest positions for me are defensive tackles and corners,” NFL Network's Mike Mayock said Saturday at the NFL scouting combine. “It's a really good corner draft. I think we are going to start hearing more names than just the three or four that we've been talking about the last couple of months.”
The cream of the cornerback draft crop consists of Ramsey, Hargreaves, Alexander and Ohio State's Eli Apple. Fuller, a Baltimore native and likely the latest NFL player from a remarkable football family, is right behind them, only because he's still recovering from major knee surgery.
“I expect all those guys to come out here and say that they are the best corner,” Fuller said. “That's the competitive nature that they have. That's how we all respect each other. But I'm going to also say that I'm the best corner coming out in the country.”
One by one, the draft's top corners made their cases Saturday when they answered questions from reporters at Lucas Oil Stadium. They'll have another opportunity Monday during their on-field workout and testing.
“I'm going to say it — and a lot of you guys will say it — I'm the best corner in this draft class,” Alexander said. “If you look at stats, my numbers, who I am as a person, who I'm competing against — I went against the best receivers in the country. I went against more of the top receivers than anybody in this draft class, and I'm going step for step. I'm not just moving outside, I'm going inside. I'm playing zone, I'm able to blitz, I'm able to show my versatility, everything.
“This means a lot to me. This ain't just me coming out here and speaking to you guys. I'm 22, but I'm ready, and I'm ready to compete with anybody. There's nobody more dedicated than me. Who's put more time and who's more of a competitor than me? … I'm here prepared, and I'm telling you I'm the best corner in this draft class.”
The good news is that there's enough depth at the position to enable the Ravens to get an immediate contributor even if they bypass the position with the sixth overall pick. But they can't afford to miss.
With Lardarius Webb's move to safety and Shareece Wright's pending unrestricted free agency, the only proven outside corner on the roster is Jimmy Smith, who is coming off an uneven season. Kyle Arrington was overmatched last year outside the slot and is a candidate to be let go as the organization tries to create salary cap space.
The rest of the cornerbacks on the roster, a group that includes Will Davis, Julian Wilson, Tray Walker, Sheldon Price, Jumal Rolle and Jermaine Whitehead, are young and/or unproven.
Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome “says all the time that you can't have enough corners,” coach John Harbaugh said Thursday. “We want corners and we're looking for corners.”
Even with Webb, Will Hill, Kendrick Lewis, Terrence Brooks, Matt Elam and Anthony Levine on the roster, the Ravens have talked about adding another safety with the priority being to find a ball hawk for new position coach Leslie Frazier.
The Ravens had a league-low six interceptions last season. Ed Reed, the team's longtime safety, had five seasons with seven interceptions or more.
Ramsey, a 6-foot-1, 209-pound defensive back who plays with athleticism and toughness, would be the ideal fit. While some question his best position in the NFL, the Ravens would love the chance to figure it out.
But Ramsey will likely be gone by the time the Ravens are on the clock. He has even generated buzz as an option for the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick. That would leave Hargreaves next in line, and the Ravens would have to be comfortable with his below-average size (5-10) for the position.
“He's got the best feet I've seen in the last couple of years,” Mayock said, downplaying the height questions. “Vernon Hargreaves, he's got special abilities and he's not going to get pushed down that far. He's going to be fine. If he's 5-9, 5-81/2, it might be different. But still, the kid has special traits.”
Hargreaves has embraced the individual battle with Ramsey to see who is the first defensive back off the board.
“We don't really talk about it when we see each other, but we see the stuff. It's kind of like a sideline rivalry with us,” Hargreaves said. “He wants to be first; I want to be first. I'm going to say I'm the best; he's going to say he's the best. That's what football is about.”
Apple is expected to be taken in the second half of the first round, so he likely won't be in play for the Ravens unless they trade back from the sixth pick. There's a chance Alexander will still be around when the Ravens prepare to make their second-round pick, but there are questions about his ball skills. However, given the number of teams looking for corners, that potential deficiency could be overlooked.
That would leave the Ravens to select in the middle rounds from a cornerback group that includes Fuller, Alabama's Cyrus Jones (Gilman), LSU's Tre'Davious White and Houston's William Jackson.
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