Delane, 22, is the No. 7 player on Baltimore Beatdown’s 2026 big board and the top-ranked cornerback four spots ahead of Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy. The former Tiger just finished a masterful season in Baton Rouge, allowing just 14 catches for 165 yards on 35 targets, per Pro Football Focus – good for a 40% completion rate, 4.7 yards per attempt, and a 31.25 passer rating when targeted.
The Ravens do not need to draft a cornerback in the first round of next week’s draft. They have Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, and Chidobe Awuzie returning as their starting trio, and All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton will spend plenty of time in the slot.
That’s not all. 2024 fourth-rounder T.J. Tampa has played well in his limited opportunities and can provide depth on the boundary; second-year UDFA Keyon Martin is in a similar position in the nickel room. Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam, both 2025 Day 3 picks who suffered season-ending injuries during training camp, could also factor into the roster picture.
New Ravens head coach Jesse Minter also came up as a secondary coach, and his staff is particularly strong in that regard. Pass game coordinator/secondary coach Mike Mickens was lauded for his work in a similar role at Notre Dame, and safeties coach P.J. Volker is coming off a successful stint as Navy’s defensive coordinator. Assistant defensive backs coach Miles Taylor worked under Minter in Los Angeles, where they routinely pulled out quality secondary play from inexpensive veterans and Day 3 picks.
So with Baltimore having selected defensive backs in the first round of three of the last four drafts, investing another top pick – especially one as high as No. 14 – feels like a misallocation of resources. But if general manager Eric DeCosta is sticking to his avowed ‘best player available’ strategy, he may have to consider Delane if he is available when the Ravens are on the clock.
Of course, hosting Delane could be a ploy to get information on a player who ends up with a division rival. He is also visiting the Bengals, and both they and the Browns pick ahead of the Ravens and need to add a cornerback.