Ravens coaches believe veteran DB Jimmy Smith is having a Pro Bowl season
The Baltimore Ravens were expecting to get consistency, leadership, quality depth, and schematic flexibility when they resigned versatile veteran defensive back Jimmy Smith to a one-year deal this offseason after letting him test the market.
Smith had spent the first nine years of his career in Baltimore after the Ravens selected him 27th overall out of Colorado in the 2011 NFL draft and had been a starter and a lynchpin on the defense for most of that time.
However, after the emergence of Marlon Humphrey and the midseason trade of Marcus Peters in 2019, both of which finished the season a First-Team All-Pro selections, Smith was viewed as an expendable luxury heading into free agency back in March.
Through the first eight games of his 10th season, he has exceeded all expectations and is playing the best football of his career to date as a defensive chess piece in Defensive Coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale’s diverse and complex scheme.
“I think Jimmy’s having a Pro Bowl season,” Martindale said. “What he’s done, the versatility he’s shown us week in, week out has been awesome. I’m happy for him.”
He has embraced a new role this year in the defense where he has played a cornerback/safety hybrid who has dominated at both positions. The 6-foot-2 and 210-pound Smith has been extremely effective as a matchup coverman on receivers and tight ends.
His ability to cover, tackle in open space, and in the run game as well as contribute to the pass rush as a blitzer has been invaluable in helping the Ravens field the top-ranked scoring defense that is also No.1 in defensive touchdowns scored, forced fumbles and fumble recoveries.
Smith has the stats and tape to back up his coach’s bold statement. He is the third highest-graded cornerback according to Pro Football Focus through the first nine games of the season with a mark of 79.9, trailing only Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers (88.3) and Bryce Callahan of the Denver Broncos (87.3).
In 270 coverage snaps, he has allowed just 13 catches for 95 yards and no touchdowns. Opposing quarterbacks have a woeful passer rating of 61.2 when throwing his direction. He’s allowed the least number of yards among all cornerbacks with at least 175 or more snaps in coverage.
Against Indianapolis in Week Nine, he was called upon to step up and start at outside corner with Humphrey out with COVID-19 and he was outstanding.
Smith played 100 percent of the defensive snaps for the first time this season and he has now played at least 78 percent of the snaps on defense in the last four games.
He reported to training camp in the best shape of his career at 32-years-old and is now having the best year of his career. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh has been banging the table for Smith being one of the best cornerbacks in the league for years and hasn’t wavered on that belief.
“He’s one of the best corners in the league; I’ve always said that,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’s playing to that level this year. We’ve had a lot of years together – his whole career. I spend a lot of time with the secondary, anyway, and the corners a lot. So, we’ve had just many conversations about football, but also about family. We’ve just valued each other’s input and advice in that way. That’s a relationship that I really value very highly, for sure.”
In eight games Smith has played 73 percent of the Ravens defensive snaps and has recorded 23 total tackles including two for loss, a sack, a fumble recovery, a pass deflection and a quarterback hit.
Baltimore may not have the deepest secondary in the league anymore after having their cornerback depth chart decimated by injuries. However, they still have arguably the best defensive backfield in the entire NFL thanks in large part to the contributions and elite play of Smith.
