The Jimmy Smith injury has shattered the Baltimore Ravens ability to play defense against top-tier teams. It seems to happen almost every season. Smith is considered an elite cornerback when he is on the field, and when is the keyword there. The Ravens walk into 2018 with Smith being an important member of the defense. When he’s available, the opponent’s best receiver is going to get slowed down dramatically. The Ravens have a deeper overall secondary though.
In addition to a lot of quality players at their disposal the Ravens have star power at the cornerback position. Marlon Humphrey emerged as one of the league’s most talented cornerbacks and in 2018 he has a chance to play at an elite level.