The Baltimore Ravens scrambled to find a missing piece for their Super Bowl puzzle, and they think they found it in an unexpected place. When Jaire Alexander hit the market after the Green Bay Packers released him, Ravens All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey didn’t just welcome the addition. He chased it down like a game-winning interception.
How Will Jaire Alexander Transform Baltimore’s Secondary?
Baltimore’s curse seems to repeat every year, with a team that has yet to find the missing piece to win a Super Bowl. Over the past two seasons, the Ravens came just short in the playoffs, with individual mistakes ultimately derailing their chances.
In 2024-25, Baltimore had one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL, especially with the combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. However, defensively, the team struggled to find its rhythm, only hitting peak performance in the second half of the season.
The opportunity to bring in Alexander came after the Packers released him following failed attempts to restructure his contract. Humphrey spoke about what this addition means for the Ravens and how he reacted to having another cornerback join the roster.
“I was super excited to add him to the squad,” Humphrey said. “I actually tried to hit him up on Instagram, but he deleted his Instagram, so I was scrambling to get his number. And then about the time I even could get it, I see him in the building. So I’m like, all right, sweet. And I talked to him, and I’m just super excited.”
With this move by the Ravens, Humphrey could play more as a nickel, leaving the outside spots to Nate Wiggins and Alexander, while Chidobe Awuzie remains part of the rotation. Even though Humphrey was an All-Pro playing on the outside in 2024-25, shifting him to the slot could help prolong his high-level production on the field.
Why Has Baltimore Invested So Heavily in Secondary Talent?
Over the past few seasons, Baltimore has prioritized investing in the secondary. Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, and Wiggins were drafted between 2022 and this year. Starks was the latest addition to boost the unit and help build a defense capable of stopping Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow.
JAIRE ALEXANDER INT
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📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/Ut3BRhC2CE pic.twitter.com/jwSZOoaVO3— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2024
“We got a lot of great players in our secondary this year,” Humphrey added. “I think the way we want to play, who plays where, matchups, we put all our best guys on the field, I think you just can’t go wrong adding a guy like that. Hopefully he’ll help, like I said, with getting those turnovers in the playoffs.”
Alexander arrives on a one-year, $4 million deal, looking to return to his best form after two injury-plagued seasons in which he played just 14 games total.
The Ravens defense enters the 2025 season ranked as the eighth-best unit in the NFL by PFSN’s Defense+ metric. They rely on rookies and free agent additions to patch up the few holes left in the 2024-25 rotation and deliver a more consistent 2025 season from start to finish.