A tide of mixed results on rookies
Marlon Humphrey had heard the whispers regarding the inability of Alabama cornerbacks picked in the first round of recent drafts to meet their potential in the NFL. The Houston Texans’ Kareem Jackson, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Dre Kirkpatrick and the New York Jets’ Dee Milliner (who hasn’t played a game since 2015) are cited as examples.
But Humphrey defied the trend. The 16th overall selection in April’s draft replaced Ravens starter Jimmy Smith (torn left Achilles tendon) and held his own as a starter in the final four games, Ravens sign former Giants defensive back Bennett Jackson to reserve/future deal including Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. In fact, Pro Football Focus ranked Humphrey fifth among cornerbacks in lowest passer rating in coverage and lowest catch percentage allowed. Humphrey was buoyed by the results. “Coming into the league, I think everybody says that Alabama DBs are going to be a bust,” he said Monday. “So that was one of the things I was trying to change that trend around. Me and [Chicago Bears safety] Eddie Jackson, that was one of the things where we were like, ‘That’s going to have to change.’ [New Orleans Saints cornerback] Marshon Lattimore is probably the [Rookie] Defensive Player of the Year, but I think all of the rookie cornerbacks balled pretty well this year. So it’s definitely a big thing for me to be in that top five.”
The 6-foot, 197-pound Humphrey was the crown jewel of the Ravens’ 2017 draft class, which got some contributions from outside linebacker Tyus Bowser (second round) and safety Chuck Clark (sixth