Getty Geno Stone exits the field for the Hawkeyes.
The Baltimore Ravens haven’t had a flashy season in terms of signings, but the work they have managed to do has been very solid in terms of getting their own players back into the mix.
Tuesday, the Ravens revealed they were bringing back safety Geno Stone. Stone had been a 2020 seventh-round draft pick of the team, and with this news, he returns for this coming year.
ALL the latest Ravens news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Ravens newsletter here!
Baltimore broke the news with a post on their team Twitter account.
We have signed S Geno Stone to a one-year deal.
Stone didn’t get much run with the Ravens last season, but it’s possible that he could have a much more obvious future with the team with more seasoning. The Ravens always like depth on the back end, and Stone can provide some of that at safety this coming season.
Stone Was Called Potential Draft Steal
The Ravens may have managed to find the best player to represent the biggest steal in last year’s draft when they selected Stone. Pro Football Focus took a look at naming the biggest steals in the entire draft, and the site credited the Ravens with finding one this year, and it came in the latest stages of the draft ironically enough.
As writer Anthony Treash explained at the time after last season, safety Geno Stone is a huge steal for where he was drafted late in the 7th round, and could prove to be the biggest steal in the entire draft. The reason has everything to do with how solid Stone is across the board and what a big play machine he’s been.
“We were far higher than anyone on Geno Stone and knew he wouldn’t be an early pick — but a seventh-rounder!? His instincts are up there with the best of the best. Stone is a quick playmaker and isn’t going to get caught off guard to be made responsible for any big play in coverage. He actually made more plays on the ball (11) than first downs allowed (9) while also giving up the fewest yards per coverage snap among safeties (0.25). And he did it at 19 and 20 years old. When looking at our Big Board rank compared to where prospects were actually taken, Stone was the biggest steal in the draft.”
Early on, Stone hasn’t proven himself as a steal quite yet, but there is no question many folks know he can be the type to get this done.
Stone’s Career Stats and Highlights
Stone had a very productive career at Iowa, putting up 126 tackles, 6 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles with the Hawkeyes. In terms of fit, he’s going to the perfect place to learn and potentially grow, which means Stone might end up proving the writers correct in the end if he becomes a steal. In his first year in the NFL, Stone only played in two games and did not register a stat, but he was likely spending the most time getting acclimated to his team’s defense along the way.
Here’s a look at some of his work:
Obviously, Stone is the kind of player that can start to come into his own in the NFL in a major way if he gets time moving forward.
READ NEXT: Ravens Meeting With Former Super Bowl Champion Wideout