DeShon Elliott poised for a big 2021 season

The Baltimore Ravens have an elite secondary headed by players like Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. However, the position excels each and every year because of the plethora of depth that Baltimore puts onto the field.

One player in the Ravens secondary who had to step into a big role last season was safety DeShon Elliott. After the untimely departure of former Baltimore safety Earl Thomas III, the Ravens decided to trust Elliott to move over to the free safety position and become the full-time starter alongside strong safety Chuck Clark.

Over the course of the 2020 season, Elliott put up 80 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He showed the ability to come up in run support while also being able to hold his own when asked to cover running backs and tight ends, as well as roam around in the deep middle of the field.

Elliott didn’t have much experience at free safety coming into the NFL, so with a full season playing at the position under his belt, he seems primed to have a big second year as a full-time starter.

When thinking about free safeties, ball-hawking players come to mind. While Elliott didn’t have any interceptions during the 2020 season, he had nine in his three years at the University of Texas, including six in his final year playing at the collegiate level.

Confidence is also key for young players trying to learn and perform well at a new position. With each game that Elliott played in last year, it seemed like he was getting more and more confident in his abilities. Now with a full offseason to learn through training camp practices and the preseason, he’ll be able to work through mistakes before the season as well as get valuable time in with teammates and coaches.

Elliott has sky high potential as he enters a contract year. Baltimore believed in what he could do as a full-time starter at a new position and he was up to the task, as he performed admirably. He’ll look to continue building on the momentum that he established in 2020 and become an even bigger piece of the Ravens’ defense.