Ravens select Houston LB Bowser in 2nd round of NFL draft
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens fulfilled their quest to add a pass rusher, selecting Houston linebacker Tyus Bowser on Friday night with the 47th overall pick in the NFL draft.
Bowser is a 6-foot-2, 244-pounder who had 8 1/2 sacks in eight games last season for the Cougars. He missed five games with a fractured orbital bone, which he received in a fight with a teammate.
Baltimore had only 31 sacks last season and missed the playoffs after going 8-8. The retirement of Zachary Orr due to injury, the release of Elvis Dumervil and the advancing age of Terrell Suggs (34) put the Ravens in need someone capable of chasing down a quarterback.
They hope Bowser fits the requirement.
On Thursday, the Ravens fortified their defensive backfield by selecting Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey with the 16th overall pick.
Humphrey wore a broad smile when he met with the media at the team complex late Friday afternoon. He will be part of a defense that has long had a reputation for being efficient, rugged and downright nasty.
“It’s definitely a blessing to be part of that legacy and part of this team,” Humphrey said.
The 6-foot-2, 197-pounder isn’t the first one in his family to taste the NFL; his father, Bobby Humphrey, was a running back from 1989-92.
“Having a dad who’s been there, done that, I think has definitely been a tremendous help for me,” Humphrey said.
Humphrey had only two years of college experience and, at age 20, isn’t old enough to drink alcohol in Maryland. But the Ravens believe he’s plenty good enough to make an impact as a rookie in the NFL.
“What isn’t there to like about this guy? He’s the most physical corner, may be the most physical defensive back, in this whole draft,” defensive coordinator Dean Pees said.
The Ravens used well over a dozen cornerbacks over the past few years, shuffling the deck because of injuries or ineffectiveness. By the end of last season, Baltimore had placed five cornerbacks on injured reserve.
That shouldn’t be an issue this year.
“We’ve looked out there and seen six or seven different cornerbacks starting for us over the course of a season,” Pees said. “Now we’ve got some stability back there.”
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