Loose Feathers: breakout candidate, analytics hire, positional rankings

Welcome back to Loose Feathers, where we catch you up on recent news and analysis about the Baltimore Ravens. Let’s get into the latest updates!

ESPN’s Ben Solak named second-year cornerback Keyon Martin as his 2026 breakout candidate for the Ravens, a surprising inclusion among a group that included better-known names like Terry McLaurin and Nolan Smith. Solak admitted that Martin was “perhaps the deepest cut of this entire list” and noted his explosiveness before writing:

Martin is undersized for an NFL corner (5-foot-9, 170 pounds), but new coach Jesse Minter was comfortable playing smaller corners during his time as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator. Quick eyes and even quicker feet in zone coverage are Minter’s preferred traits, and Martin has those.

At his size, Martin likely can’t play anything but the slot. The Ravens do love three-safety sets with Kyle Hamilton in the nickel, but when they want a quicker cover man, Martin has a chance to supplant Chidobe Awuzie as the third corner on the field, keeping Marlon Humphrey on the outside.

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Martin impressed as an undrafted rookie last year and could benefit from the Ravens’ infusion of secondary coaching talent, including Minter and defensive pass game coordinator Mike Mickens. However, the Ravens’ cornerback room has gotten more crowded with the addition of fifth-round pick Chandler Rivers, a strong spring from 2025 UDFA Marquise Robinson, and returns from injury by 2025 Day 3 picks Bilhal Kone and Robert Longerbeam.

With Humphrey, Awuzie, Nate Wiggins, and T.J. Tampa set as the top four, Martin will likely have to fight for a roster spot before he pushes for consistent playing time. Rivers, in particular, brings a similar frame (5-foot-9, 185 pounds) and slot skillset that could threaten Martin’s place. Awuzie was quietly excellent last year, too, and may not be displaced so easily.

The Ravens are hiring Omarion Bitting as an Analytics Player Personnel – Football Systems Developer, per his LinkedIn. Bitting is currently completing a Master’s degree in Data Science and Business Analytics at UNC Charlotte, where he has worked for both the men’s and women’s basketball team.

Most of Bittings’ publicly-available work is focused on basketball, but he does have experience working as a football data scout for Sports Info Solutions. He is expected to join the Ravens after he graduates later this year.

ESPN has been rolling out their top 10 rankings for each position, and thus far, just two Ravens have made the list. Mark Andrews came in as the ninth-best tight end and Derrick Henry was ranked sixth among running backs. Both sat multiple spots higher last year, but age and statistical regression (more from Andrews than Henry) contributed to a slight fall. Similarly, Trey Hendrickson was given an honorable mention after being listed as the sixth-best edge rusher in the 2025 rankings.

Cornerback Marlon Humphrey and left tackle Ronnie Stanley also received votes for their respective lists, while ex-Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum was ranked eighth among all interior offensive linemen.