A former no-star recruit who climbed from junior college to the NFL, only to see his rookie season end before it started.
Bilhal Kone's path to Baltimore ran through three different schools and two levels of college football before he ever set foot on an FBS practice field as a full-time cornerback. The Ravens took a chance on his length and ball skills in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, and he was working his way into the cornerback rotation when a brutal preseason injury derailed his first year.
Path to the league
Kone was a no-star recruit out of high school who started at Iowa Central Community College, earning consecutive all-conference honors with 47 tackles and three interceptions over two seasons. He transferred to Indiana State for 2022 before making the jump to FBS football at Western Michigan for his final two college seasons.
Career highlights
At Western Michigan, Kone became a two-year starting outside cornerback and racked up 112 tackles and 17 pass deflections across his two seasons, leading the Broncos in passes defensed both years. He was one of only four FBS cornerbacks with at least 70 tackles in 2024 and became the first Western Michigan player ever drafted by the Ravens when Baltimore took him in the sixth round, 178th overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
2025 season recap
Kone's rookie year ended almost as soon as it began. He suffered torn ACL and MCL injuries in his first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts and was placed on season-ending injured reserve, never appearing in a regular-season game for Baltimore.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Bilhal Kone
- ESPN: Bilhal Kone
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Western Michigan
- Hometown
- Apple Valley, MN, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
