It's no secret that the NFL is a very pass-happy league today, and as such, having a strong passing defense is just as important as having a strong passing offense.
The Baltimore Ravens found that out firsthand last season. Their pass defense was atrocious in the first half of the year, as they allowed nearly 300 passing yards per game. They improved substantially in the second half of the year, though, and actually became one of the league's better passing defenses by the end.
With only five cornerbacks currently on the roster, though, the Ravens' secondary is looking relatively thin. Luckily, general manager Eric DeCosta confirmed at Tuesday's pre-draft press conference that he "expects" to select at least one corner next week.
"It's always a big need, every single year," DeCosta told reporters. "You could ask 31 other teams; they'd all say the same thing. Corner is a critical, important position. They break down. They're like Bugattis, and they just break down, and you've got to have them in reserve, because that can go from being a positional strength to being something that ... I remember – it's a long story, so I won't tell it – but in 2007, we played the Steelers on a Monday night, and I was flying out to USC and UCLA. We took off, and the game hadn't started yet, and when we landed it was like 24-0 in the first quarter against the Steelers."
"If you look at our corners that game, not to besmirch anyone, but they were all guys that were playing because other guys got hurt. That's just an incredibly important position, so that's always going to be a need for us. That doesn't mean we're going to take a guy in the first round, but I feel pretty sure that we'll take at least one corner in the Draft," he continued.
This offseason, the Ravens lost Brandon Stephens to free agency and released nickel corner Arthur Maulet. They still have Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey, and they added veteran Chidobe Awuzie, but the depth is still not where they'd like it to be.
If they want to draft a corner in the first round, though, they're in somewhat of an awkward spot. Most of the top corner prospects will likely be gone when they come up to the podium at No. 27 overall, but they might be reaching if they go for one of the second-tier prospects.
Still, there is a good deal of talent available in the mid-late rounds that could make an immediate impact.
