6 defensive back standouts from 2024 NFL Combine who fit the Ravens

Several cornerback and safety prospects tested and performed well.

The second day of on-field workouts at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine was Friday. The cornerbacks and safeties took the field at Lucas Oil Stadium to try and impress pundits, analysts, and league executives alike.

It featured numerous impressive performances in the positional drills and feats of athleticism during the testing portion. This either confirmed what they showed on tape in college or will have evaluators going back to see what they might’ve missed.

Here are a handful of prospects that could fill positional needs for the Baltimore Ravens or reinforce depth at others in the secondary.

CB Max Melton, Rutgers

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The former Scarlett Knight was one of the brightest standouts of the entire defensive backs group, especially when it came to testing. His 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash was the six-fastest among the cornerbacks, his 10-yard split of 1.51 tied for the fifth-fastest and his marks of 40.50 in the vertical jump tied for the third best and his broad jump of 11-foot-4 was farthest of his entire position group.

Melton was smooth and displayed soft hands and loose hips when running through the position drills. His unofficial Raw Athletic Score of 9.65 out of 10 ranks 79 out of 2222 cornerbacks since 1987 and he could very well be in play for the Ravens in the second round at No. 62 overall or the third round at No. 94 overall. He recorded eight interceptions in his college career including three in 2023 and 2021 and 21 pass deflections in his last three seasons combined.

CB Elijah Jones, Boston College

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The former Eagle was a very strong tester as well with a top 10 mark in the 40-yard dash at 4.44 officially and he tied for the best vertical leap with a 42.50 and tied for the fourth-best broad jump with a mark of 10-foot-11. He was just as impressive during the positional drills with how smooth he looked in his back pedal opening his hips to turn and run as well as track and catch the ball in the air.

Jones’ unofficial Raw Athletic Score of 9.65 out of 10 ranks 83 out of 2222 cornerbacks since 1987 and included an elite composite explosive grade. He could also be in play for the Ravens in the second round at No. 62 overall or the third round at No. 94 overall especially since he attended the Senior Bowl which is a talent pool the team annually pulls from. In his final collegiate season, he earned First-Team All-ACC honors after recording a career-high five interceptions to go along with eight pass breakups and a forced fumble.

CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame

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The former member of the Fighting Irish and Baltimore native will likely rise up the draft board of his hometown team after his strong performance in both athletic testing and on-field work. His vertical leap of 39.50 and a broad jump of 10-foot-10 tied for the fifth-best among cornerbacks. Hart was one of the few prospects at the position that opted to participate in the three-cone and 20-yard shuttle and his marks in each were in the top 10. He made the biggest impression in the on-field drills where he looked very fluid, smooth, and loose for a corner of his size.

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds with 33-inch arms, Hart is the kind of athletic big-bodied corner that the Ravens look for to play on the outside. His unofficial Raw Athletic Score of 9.82 out of 10 ranks 42 out of 2222 cornerbacks since 1987 and included an elite composite explosive grade. He could also be in play for the Ravens late in the third round at No. 94 at the earliest and perhaps sometime early on Day 3. Hart was college teammates with Kyle Hamilton for two years over his four-year career, he recorded 17 pass breakups, 10.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. His athletic profile and pedigree make him an ideal immediate depth piece and core special teams contributor who could be developed into a quality starter someday.

DB Tyler Nubin, Minnesota

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The former Golden Gopher didn’t take part in the athletic testing portion of the Combine but he showed what matters most during the on-field drills and workouts. He showed off great feet and the ability to open his hips as well as track and catch the ball. Nubin is regarded as arguably the top safety prospect in this year’s draft but isn’t projected to be a first-round pick. He was an absolute ball hawk in college who increased his interception total every year including a career-high five in 2023 and finished with 13 in his career to go along with 11 pass breakups.

With former seventh-round gem Geno Stone slated to become an unrestricted free agent in a couple of weeks after leading the team and AFC as a whole with seven interceptions, the Ravens could pull the trigger on taking Nubin on Day 2 if he’s the best player available. He’d be a great value pick in the third round at No. 94 overall or in a trade-back scenario where they accumulate more picks. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to current Ravens veteran safety Marcus Williams who has struggled to stay healthy since signing a near top-of-the-market deal two off-seasons ago. Having Stone be able to step in and the defense not miss a beat the past two years was very clutch and the team might want to add another ball hawk to replace him to keep their three-safety sets elite.

DB Cole Bishop, Utah

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The former Ute turned a lot of head with his impressive athletic testing followed by a strong showing in positional drills. Bishop’s blazing 4.45 mark in the 40-yard dash tied for the third-fastest among all safeties and his 10-yard split of 1.52 tied for the second-fastest. His vertical leap of 39 inches tied for the fourth-best mark and his broad jump of 10-foot-4 tied for the sixth-best.

Bishop moved very well through the drills, looking fluid and natural in his backpedal and showing nice ball skills. His unofficial Raw Athletic Score of 9.82 out of 10 ranks 19th out of 976 free safeties since 1987 which included great composite grades in explosiveness, speed, and size. In his final collegiate season, Bishop recorded or tied new career highs in tackles for loss (6.5), sacks (three), interceptions (two), fumble recoveries (two), and forced fumbles (one).

DB Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech

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The former Red Raider also shined bright in the athletic testing as well as the on-field drills. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time among all safeties with a 4.41, his vertical jump of 39 inches tied Bishop for the fourth-best and his broad jump of 10-foot-3 was top 10 at his position group as well. Taylor-Demerson looked great going through the drills and made the best adjustment to make a catch of the entire bunch.

His unofficial Raw Athletic Score of 8.91 out of 10 ranks 107th out of 976 free safeties since 1987 included a great composite explosive grade and an elite composite speed grade but was dinged for lack of size for being 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds. in explosiveness, speed, and size. In his last two collegiate seasons, Taylor-Demerson averaged 73.5 tackles and recorded a combined seven tackles for loss, two sacks, seven interceptions, 13 pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles.