In the 2026 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens will enter the weekend equipped with 11 total picks at their disposal. That includes the No. 14 overall selection in the first round on Thursday night. The Ravens traditionally stick to their “best player available” drafting strategy but also have a few prominent roster needs to address.
General Manager Eric DeCosta and the team’s brain trust could go a number of directions with their first pick, one of which is drafting a cornerback. Let’s break down the case
for and against the Ravens drafting a cornerback in Round 1.
The Case For:
The phrase “you can never have too many corners” has been mentioned regularly around Ravens’ circles over the years. The Ravens have been scarred in prior season by having their cornerback room decimated by injuries and, in the case of last year, underperforming. Marlon Humphrey is coming off arguably a career-worst season and Nate Wiggins was inconsistent, failing to take a big leap in Year 2.
Humphrey will be 30 years old this summer and has dealt with nagging injuries repeatedly over the last few years. These realities make it fair to question whether a big bounce-back season is in the cards and if his best football is behind him. Wiggins’ struggles at times in 2025 also clouds his status as a rising star and definitive No. 1 cornerback, which he was billed to be after a promising rookie season.
Outside of these two, Chidobe Awuzie is the only other returning clear-cut contributor. While he had a strong season last year, Awuzie is also 30+ years old and only on a one-year deal. The Ravens’ pass coverage was putrid at times in 2025 and finished as a bottom-ranked unit. A new defensive scheme and coaching under Jesse Minter’s staff should have a significant impact, but you can’t teach talent and youth — which the Ravens need more of at the cornerback position.
The Case Against:
The Ravens have invested a lot of resources in the defensive backfield as a whole recently, including at cornerback. They used their first-round pick at the position two years ago (Wiggins) and Humphrey is one of the league’s highest-paid cornerbacks. Two of their other recent first-round picks were on safeties, too.
Their allocation of draft capital and money has been skewed towards the backend of the defense and away from the front-seven. That was evident last season as they struggled mightily to generate pass rush throughout the year amidst injuries to the defensive line and edge rusher rooms. So, some course correction here is probably warranted. Other positions like offensive line profile as more pressing needs, too.
Much of the team’s pass coverage issues over the past two years can probably be attributed to poor scheme and coaching, which the incoming regime should help improve mightily. The Ravens can wait to draft a cornerback or two in the mid-to-late rounds and lean into the player development chops of Minter and company to help get the most out of the room. Furthermore, their two late-round cornerback picks from last year (Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam) are essentially incoming rookies after missing the entire 2025 season due to injuries.
Do you think the Ravens should draft a cornerback in the first round this year? Share your thoughts below and join in on the discussion!
