The Baltimore Ravens’ pass defense was one of the strengths of the team last season, as defensive coordinator Don Martindale’s charges allowed the sixth fewest passing yards in the whole league. Only the New England Patriots allowed a lower completion percentage than the Ravens, against whom opponents completed just 58.5% of their passes. It was with some degree of justification that three members of the Ravens defensive backfield — namely Marcus Peters, Marlon Humphrey, and Earl Thomas — were named All-Pros last year.
But there is a drumbeat building around how this group could be improved this season. It’s not because of a new face in the defensive backs room but rather a familiar one. Cornerback Tavon Young missed the entire 2019 season with a serious neck injury, but he could be set to return for 2020 — at least according to him.
“He says he’s healthy,” Martindale said in a video conference with reporters last week. “He’s ready to go. Tavon is ready to go, and if he tells me he’s ready to go, I believe in him 100 percent. And he’ll be ready to go, so I’m excited about that.”
Having Young back would allow Humphrey to move back to the outside cornerback spot. Humphrey played inside on 50.2% of his snaps last season, according to Player Profiler, compared to just 4.8% in 2018 when Young played 15 games. The last time we saw Young, he was earning the highest contract for a slot cornerback after his 2018 deeds.
But (and there is a big but) no one has said that Young is definitely going to be back on the field, never mind at his best. In the same interview, Martindale joked that Young “looks healthy on the computer.” There does not appear to be any word from medical experts regarding Young’s health, and whether he has been medically cleared to resume playing.
It would be one thing if Young, as good as he has been when on the field, has been a picture of health through his career. However, that has not been the case. As well as the neck injury, Young missed the entire 2017 season with a torn ACL, while also battling hip and ankle injuries during the 2018 season. Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Young has missed 33 of 64 possible regular-season games.
A fully fit and healthy Young would give Martindale another weapon to deploy against opposing offenses in 2020. But until we get confirmation that he is good to go, Baltimore is simply hoping Young is 100% and ready to roll.
[vertical-gallery id=50097]