Is Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker worth the work?

Word is Tray Walker was learning all season. That he was an obvious project corner with loads of talent from a small school, and while that is very likely possible, I'm not believing it.

This team was very ugly on defense. With a complete and total lack of talent in the Ravens secondary Baltimore was swinging for the waivers fences. Any possible cornerback that knew anything about defense was getting signed. A trade happened mid-season with Dolphins CB Will Davis. After Davis tore his ACL the Ravens still had Tray Walker on the roster, yet he was not playing.

Through sixteen games Walker played in 8, and through those games the rookie corner played in 8 total snaps.

In comparison, C.J. Mosley played in 1046 total snaps (highest for any Baltimore Ravens defensive player).

Why would the team whom desperately needed coverage talent not utilize the player they drafted to do exactly that job, even with such a severe depletion of the depth chart in that area. I'm not one quick to judgement, but this smells of a wasted draft pick. Ozzie sounds to be backpedaling.

"We still hold a lot of promise for Tray," -Ozzie Newsome, said during the season ending press conference according to Ryan Mink, Staff Writer for the Baltimore Ravens.

Walker was "up and down" in practice said John Harbaugh. This just sounds more and more like excuses. Tray Walker was a small school selection from Texas Southern. He has the body type and build to be a good cornerback, but maybe the player isn't instinctual enough, or flat-out can't handle the NFL speed. WhichWalker mentioned was an extreme adjustment.

Walker did have this to say, "The things I was doing in college and getting away with, I can't get away with here. You've got to focus on your man and not just try to make plays like I used to try to do in college."

This is the National Football League. It takes an insane amount of skill, talent, luck, and instincts to "make plays". And as a rookie with 8 total professional snaps you need to be busy playing defense rather than attempting more. And with "up and down" practices, it is key to stick to the program- cover your zone/man. In this case, get on the field more often. The Ravens traded a pick instead of playing you. That is not a good sign, especially with pick-hoarders Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta at the helm.

Tray Walker possibly will be a busted selection, but one season is an unfair assessment. I am willing to give him next season as a chance. Time will tell, we'll see after the draft if he even survives the cuts for next seasons roster.