Eric DeCosta was asked about this year's cornerback class in the draft, and the Baltimore Ravens assistant general manager couldn't resist himself.

"Last year, we could have used about any corner in this draft," he said.

When the Ravens look at the cornerbacks in this year's draft, team officials aren't just evaluating their ability to match up with receivers and make plays on the ball. Durability ranks high on the Ravens' list, especially after what Baltimore went through last season.

A run of injuries and poor play turned cornerback into the most vulnerable position on the Ravens. Five cornerbacks (Jimmy Smith, Asa Jackson, Aaron Ross, Danny Gorrer and Tramain Jacobs) were placed on injured reserve, and two others (Dominique Franks and Chykie Brown) were cut after becoming liabilities on the field.

The inability to keep their best cornerbacks on the field became a major factor in ending the Ravens' championship hopes. After the Ravens gave up the most passing yards in the franchise's 19-year history, the Patriots exposed the Baltimore secondary in the AFC divisional playoff game, dropping back to pass 80 percent of the time and throwing for 408 yards.

The Ravens return their top three cornerbacks from last season, but the injury history of Lardarius Webb, Smith and Jackson have made it a priority to upgrade the depth at this position. These three cornerbacks combined to miss 20 games in 2014, and they have played a total of three full seasons between them in their NFL careers.

So, it wasn't surprising to hear the traits that the Ravens look for at the cornerback position.

"We want football players," DeCosta said. "We want guys that bring something to the table for us in Baltimore, and they’ve got to be fast, they’ve got to be tough, they’ve got to be coachable, smart, tough, disciplined and durable."

Here is where the five cornerbacks who should be available in the bottom half of the first round rank in terms of durability:

Washington's Marcus Peters: Exceptional durability. He appeared in all 34 games he was eligible to play in and that includes 28 starts. Peters' biggest problem was behavior, not injuries.

Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson: Great durability. He never missed a game due to injury and started all 36 games over his final three seasons. There are some concerns that Johnson's lanky frame won't hold up in the NFL.

Connecticut's Byron Jones: Average durability. After injuring his left shoulder during the summer of 2014, he played the first seven games with a brace before re-injuring it and missed the rest of the season. But Jones built a reputation for playing hurt.

LSU's Jalen Collins: Average durability. He was never counted on to be a full-time starter in college, and he underwent foot surgery in early March after doctors discovered a stress fracture. Collins is expected to be ready to participate in offseason workouts in May.

Florida State's Ronald Darby: Above-average durability. He missed 2013 spring practice after undergoing sports hernia surgery. But Darby played all 28 games the last two seasons, including 23 starts.