Russell Street Report Street Talk Ravens DB’s Fight Over a Nickel

Position Battles: The Contenders for Nickelback

After Corey Graham bolted for Buffalo, most thought that the Ravens would either sign a solid CB, or they would take one early in the draft. Neither happened.

Instead, the Ravens stuck with their famous ” Next man up” mentality, showing a lot of faith in 4th year CB Chykie Brown and the promising Asa Jackson, while also proving that the front office in Baltimore is worth their weight in solid gold by nabbing potential UDFA gems in CB’s Sammy Seamster, Avery Patterson and Ayodeji Olatoye.

Let’s take a look at all five contenders:

The Frontrunner: Chykie Brown

While still remain unproven in the spotlight, the 27-year-old Brown could be the next Raven in line to have a breakout season in the final year of a rookie contract.

After establishing himself on special teams by finishing 3rd on the team on ST tackles in back-to-back seasons (13 ST tackles in 2012, 8 in 2013), the former Longhorn has also seen some reps in the slot due to injuries in his career, recording 39 total tackles and 7 PD’s. His experience should make him the strong front runner in this position battle, but he still has to have a solid camp and pre-season to lock the spot up.

The Overlooked: Asa Jackson

PLEASE don’t write him off yet, I sure haven’t, and in 2014, you might just see why.

The 3rd year corner out of Cal Poly has drawn some criticism for having more suspensions (2) than tackles (1) during his first two years, but we all know how unfortunate his suspensions were, so it really should be a non-factor regarding his future with the team this season.

Looking to the future, the 24-year-old could become a big factor in the secondary for the Ravens this season if he proves himself in camp and in the preseason.

The Sacramento, California native has a good skill set for the NFL and has flashed his speed, quickness and solid ball skills in previous preseasons while also displaying potential in the return game. The talent is undeniably there, it’s just a matter of staying on the field for Jackson, and that shouldn’t be a problem in 2014. Definitely look out for him in August.

The Diamond In The Rough: Sammy Seamster

Four words: Ozzie does it again. Seamster, 23, has the size to hang with the big, physical WR’s at 6-0 and 200 pounds while also boasting the speed (4.44 forty) to hang with the burners. Long story short, the UDFA out of Middle Tennessee State has the tools and the potential to be the Ravens next big hidden gem.

Seamster had a stellar Senior season for the Blue Raiders in 2013, recording a career-high 33 tackles and 1 INT (His only career interception), while displaying impressive skill in press coverage and fantastic leaping ability.

Seamster has the potential to be a key piece of the Ravens D in a few years if he puts in the time and effort and continues to improve. All NFL teams covet that shutdown corner that might not rack up interceptions, but will completely take a receiver out of the game with press coverage, and Seamster fits the mold. He is still raw, and he does need to work on his tackling and needs improvement defending the run, but there will be a ton of eyes on the rookie in camp.

The Prototype: Avery Patterson

I am a HUGE fan of Avery Patterson. He might be a little undersized at 5-8 and 191 pounds, but the 23-year-old plays bigger than his size and is the ideal fit for a slot CB due to his speed, quickness and agility, along with his strong tackling skills at FS and at CB.

In his four years at Oregon, Patterson consistently displayed strong skills at defending the run and in pass coverage, recording 198 tackles, 18 PD’s and 7 Interceptions, while racking up 3 pick-6’s. In his senior season in 2013, Patterson recorded a career-high 80 tackles, 6 TFL, 6 PD’s and 3 INT’s, returning one for a touchdown.

He might be undersized, but I remember one undersized DB winning DPOY in 2007 (Bob Sanders), and another that had a big season in Arizona last year……………..

With that being said, don’t be surprised if this former Duck starts turning heads at camp sooner rather than later.

The Dark Horse: Ayodeji Olatoye

The UDFA out of North Carolina A&T has a promising size (6-1, 198) and speed (4.46 forty) combination, and the 22-year-old could throw his name into the competition with a strong camp and pre-season this Summer.

After transferring from Colorado, the Dublin, Ohio native transferred to NC A&T in 2012 and recorded 78 tackles, 18 PD’s and 5 INT’s in 21 games in from 2012-2013.

Olatoye has a tremendous skill set that includes a 33.5′ vertical and a ridiculous 98.5′ wingspan. He was solid in coverage and displayed fine reactions and ball skills as an Aggie. He could very well have a bright future in the NFL as a good cover corner that can jam receivers easily off the line with his size and wingspan if he keeps improving and impressing in camp.