Ryan Mink: The Ravens are always looking to stockpile cornerbacks and have done a good job of finding talent in the middle rounds. Brandon Stephens could be next in line. He was originally a highly recruited running back coming out of high school who chose UCLA over other major programs. After two years at running back, he transferred and flipped over to cornerback. He has the size at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, competitiveness and physicality that you would expect from a former running back. Stephens still has a lot to learn at the position, which is to be expected considering he's played it for just two years, but he's in the perfect landing spot with plenty of starters ahead of him. He can be groomed by Baltimore's secondary coaches and immediately bolster the Ravens' secondary depth and special teams.
Clifton Brown: There's nothing wrong with adding more cornerback depth, not in a league where defending the pass is such a priority. Stephens will have to earn his way onto the field, but he'll join perhaps the league's deepest cornerback rotation and can be mentored by some talented veterans. At 6-feet-1, Stephens has nice length for a corner and held his own against bigger receivers in college. He began his college career as a running back, so he may be somewhat raw for an NFL cornerback. However, he'll have time to develop on a team that won't need to rely on him right away.Â
John Eisenberg: The Ravens are as deep in quality cornerbacks as any team in the NFL, but they're always looking to get younger and better at a key position. Stephens might not play a lot right away on a team with Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, Jimmy Smith and Tavon Young, but he has the size and skills to develop into a starter in a few years. He began his college football career as a running back before turning to the secondary, where he found he was a natural. I'm sure the Ravens can't wait to get their hands on him and start coaching him up.
