On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the Baltimore Ravens claimed cornerback Trayvon Mullen off waivers.
The Ravens have claimed CB Trayvon Mullen off of waivers from the Cowboys. He was a 2019 second-round pick of the Raiders.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 23, 2023
Mullen, 25, was drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders (who were the Oakland raiders at the time) in 2019 out of the Clemson. The former second-round pick made 31 starts for the Raiders in his first three seasons but has since bounced around to a couple other teams.
In late August 2022, Mullen was traded to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional draft pick. After appearing in eight games for Arizona, the Cardinals released him just over a month ago on December 13. He was quickly scooped up by the Dallas Cowboys but made just one appearance and was released yesterday, one day before the Cowboys’ divisional round game.
In 46 career games, Mullen has recorded 150 combined tackles, 29 passes defended adn four interceptions. The 6-foot-2 cornerback is also notably cousins with Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson, so this move is certain to draw headlines for that reason, as well. Many are likely to speculate whether the Ravens’ ongoing contract negotiations with Jackson factored into this acquisition of claiming Mullen.
Reinforcing the team’s their defensive backfield and more specificall the cornerback position figures to be an offseason focus for General Manager Eric DeCosta. So, the Ravens taking a flier on a former early-round pick like Mullen is not a huge surprise — regardless of his family ties to Jackson.