Rookie Correa feels better after defensive debut but rues drop

The wait finally ended for Kamalei Correa.

The rookie inside linebacker made his long-awaited defensive debut in the Ravens’ 19-17 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. After breaking up one pass in the first quarter, Correa was grateful for the opportunity to make a contribution.

“It felt good to be out there on defense again and for the coaches to actually be able to trust me out there,” the 2016 secondround draft pick said.

Correa had been relegated to special teams duty in the first two games as he backed up starters C.J. Mosley and Zachary Orr. Correa said it helped that Mosley, Orr and outside linebacker Albert McClellan continued to encourage him.

“I’ve got a good group of guys that I’m next to, guys like C.J. and Zach and Bert,” he said. “So I feel like I’m able to play a little bit faster out there.”

If there was a blemish on last Sunday’s outing, it was that Correa dropped what could have been an interception returned for a touchdown after he stepped between quarterback Blake Bortles and intended receiver Julius Thomas.

“I knew you were going to bring that up,” Correa said with a smile. “That actually was my very first defensive play that I could have had an interception for a touchdown. But that’s the way the cookie crumbled. I still got a pass breakup. When I came over to the sideline, it was all love and jokes from my boys. But at the end of the day, I do need to take advantage of the opportunity and make something happen next time.”

Defensive coordinator Dean Pees chuckled when asked whether he had a conversation with Correa on the sideline after his drop.

“I didn’t have to. Everybody else did on the sideline,” Pees said. “I had to build him back up after they got on him on the sideline. That would have been a great first play of your career, wouldn’t it?”