The Baltimore Ravens are going to miss Earl Thomas. There is no question about that. The man tasked with doing so in 2020 is former 2018 6th round pick DeShon Elliott. Oddly enough, both Thomas and Elliott played their college ball at Texas. Baltimore REALLY needs Elliott to come through and he’s confident that he can replace Thomas.
“Earl is a Hall of Famer, no doubt. So, of course, I respect Earl and his game,” Elliott said, via the team’s website. “But I’m not worried about Earl; I’m worried about me and what I can bring to this team for my teammates. I know I’m going to make my plays, [and] I know we’re going to strive to be great. So, whatever I have to do to do that, that’s what’s going to happen. Whether it’s eight picks, 10 picks or no picks, whatever I need to do to help my team be great and win every game we need to win to accomplish our end goal, that’s all I care about.”
Chuck Clark and Elliott will be the safety duo in 2020. Both of whom are former 6th round picks. I think Elliott has some potential but we haven’t seen it. Thus far, Elliott has been marred by injuries landing on IR in 2018 for a fractured forearm. His 2019 season was cut short by knee issues.
Ravens passing defense coordinator Chris Hewitt noted that Elliott is ready but often times might be “too confident”.
“He’s definitely a confident young man — sometimes too confident,” Hewitt said. “But he definitely doesn’t lack for confidence in any endeavor. He’s just been that kind of kid. He’s an energy bunny. He comes in the building and he’s just ready to go. When he gets out on the field, he brings the energy to the rest of the defense. He’s just one of those guys. I love the way that he plays.”
Either way, even if Elliott comes through, they won’t get Earl Thomas level production. We’re talking about a guy that was so good that he basically didn’t give up a reception all year. NOT A JOKE. The good news for Baltimore is that their cornerback group is outstanding with Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, and Jimmy Smith.
