Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey admitted that he will eventually play safety, but he continues to impress head coach Jesse Minter as a cornerback.
Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey may have experienced a down year in 2025, but that was the case for the entire team. Now, the defender has been impressing head coach Jesse Minter in a big way.
Humphrey also spoke about his eventual change to safety, but revealed that it won't happen anytime soon. The usual case for cornerbacks is that they move to safety when they've lost a step in their speed, but that is not the case for the Pro Bowler just yet.
"I'm just playing corner, I'm just trying to play ball," Humphrey said. "To be honest, I do plan on playing safety at some point in my life. Right now, I'm playing corner and rocking out."
Humphrey admitted during a media session that the 2025 season was a bit of a burnout for him, as he showed up to practice nearly every day. Even when instructed to take a day off as a veteran player, he was prideful in not wanting to show up as much as possible.
That is no longer the case, as Humphrey said he is now listening to his coaches and taking in more resources for the 2026 season. His practice change may have benefitted him already, as he received glowing praise from Minter.
"I've got a lot of confidence in Marlon Humphrey," Minter said. "I think over the last two years at the corner position, he's top two or three in the league in turnovers caused, turnovers forced. He's obviously always had a knack for affecting the football.
"I think he's really embraced some of the technical changes. He's playing himself into a rhythm and he's getting better every day. He's starting to really trust some of the techniques. I expect great things out of Marlon."
Humphrey is part of a solid cornerback trio that includes Chidobe Awuzie and Nate Wiggins. He is the leader of the unit, and Minter expects that Humphrey will take a sizable leap in 2026.
Minter has plenty of familiarity with Humphrey, as the coach was a defensive assistant and defensive backs coach from 2017 to 2020. He has seen what Humphrey can do and is likely very excited to get back to coaching the corner.
That is not to mention Anthony Weaver, who has also returned to the Ravens organization as defensive coordinator. He was the defensive line coach from 2021 to 2023.
With a strong emphasis on defense expected to take place in 2026, the Baltimore team will look heavily to veterans like Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, Roquan Smith, and more.
Longtime veterans Calais Campbell and Trey Hendrickson were also brought into the fold to raise the pass rush significantly and act as guiding lights for the young players on the roster.
There is much to be excited about in terms of how the Ravens defense looks on paper, it will just be up to the unit to use that skill out on the field when it matters. Baltimore will get their chance to do just that when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in their first preseason game on Aug. 15.
