The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2021 NFL Draft with a massive need at wide receiver and did everything in their power to turn that need into a strength. Quarterback Lamar Jackson had a relatively disappointing season last year, but some of his struggles as a passer could be traced to a below-average set of weapons. With more pass-catchers in town, let’s take a look at the updated depth chart and see if Jackson has enough to succeed in 2021.
[pickup_prop id=”6306″]
Baltimore Ravens Depth Chart Analysis: Wide Receiver
The Entrenched Starter: Marquise Brown
After an electric rookie season, Marquise Brown entered the 2020 campaign healthy and looking to establish himself as one of the best young receivers in the league. While that didn’t quite happen, the speedy receiver still managed to put together a strong campaign. Appearing in all 16 games while making 14 starts, the Oklahoma product finished the season with 58 receptions for 769 yards and eight touchdowns, not bad numbers considering the run-heavy nature of Baltimore’s offense.
Primarily working as a deep threat, Brown’s numbers actually could have been quite a bit better. Jackson and Brown were not on the same page early in the season, leading to quite a few overthrows and missed connections. The duo figured it out as the season progressed, as Brown recorded 26 receptions for 338 yards and six touchdowns over the final six games of the regular season. If extrapolated to a full 16-game season, Brown would’ve finished with 69 receptions for 901 yards and 16 touchdowns. The magic continued into the playoffs, as the second-year pro recorded 11 receptions for 196 yards over Baltimore’s two postseason contests.
Brown’s ability to make plays down the field means that he is never going to be a 100-catch receiver. However, he proved that he is more than capable of taking the top off of a defense while also providing a little extra on intermediate routes. Even if he never develops into an All-Pro talent, he’s always going to be an important part of a successful passing attack.
The Experienced Veteran: Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins never lived up to his potential as the fourth-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, but he is a solid receiver when on the field. Over the past three seasons, Watkins served a valuable role as the second receiver in Kansas City’s high-flying offense. While he certainly isn’t the most consistent player in the world, he is capable of having big games and singlehandedly powering a team to victory.
The biggest problem with Baltimore’s receiving corps in 2020 was that they didn’t have a possession receiver. Brown could take a top of a defense, but he didn’t do too much in the middle of the field or near the line of scrimmage. Watkins has the potential to fill that role, and is really the perfect fit for this roster. Watkins is good enough to be an adequate starter if Rashod Bateman needs time to adjust to NFL life, but he isn’t good enough to demand a starting job if Bateman excels right out of the gate.
The Promising Rookie: Rashod Bateman
For the second time in three seasons, the Baltimore Ravens used a first-round selection on a wide receiver. Rashod Bateman is essentially the perfect foil to Marquise Brown, as their skillsets complement each other perfectly. Bateman can move all around the formation and catches just about everything thrown in his zip code. He’s a fantastic route runner that can separate in the slot or out wide, and his 6’-2”, 210-pound frame allows him to win contested situations even when covered. This massive frame translates to the open field, as Bateman can break tackles and pick up yards after the catch.
While he isn’t the most explosive player in the world, Bateman should still be a very reliable chain-mover at the next level. A starting duo of Bateman and Brown would be very hard to defend, as Bateman can make plays in the short and intermediate levels of the field while Brown takes the top off of the defense. Add in Mark Andrews and it’s safe to say Baltimore has done a fine job of surrounding Lamar Jackson with all the talent he’ll need to succeed.
Fighting For Depth: Tylan Wallace, Devin Duvernay, Miles Boykin
As things currently stand, Baltimore has a pretty solid starting receiving trio. That said, injuries are inevitable in the game of football, and the Ravens need to make sure their backups can step up if something happens to the starter.
Tylan Wallace is the most interesting name here, as not many people believed the Oklahoma State product would fall to Day 3. Wallace possesses great speed with the ability to win in contested situations, and the analytics community should love his 93rd percentile college dominator and 84th percentile breakout age. While there are questions about his ability to beat man coverage and run a full route tree, he’s an adequate replacement should something happen to Marquise Brown.
Devin Duvernay had a rookie season to forget last year. Despite Baltimore’s need at the position, Duvernay only managed to record 20 receptions for 201 yards and a touchdown while playing in all 16 games. Duvernay is an electric playmaker in the open field, but actually getting him to the open field is a major problem. He is entering his second year, so there is time for him to improve his game. Fortunately, he did show some promise on special teams, so he should stick around as a returner while honing up his skills as a receiver.
This could very well be the end of the road for Miles Boykin. The former third-round pick is one of the most athletic receivers in the league, but all the athleticism in the world doesn’t matter if you can’t actually play the position. Last year, the Notre Dame product finished the season with just 19 receptions for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Considering all Baltimore did to bolster the position, don’t be surprised if Boykin has a new home in a couple of months.
Outside Looking In: James Proche, Jaylon Moore, Deon Cain
Of all the players in this section of the Ravens wide receiver review, James Proche has the best shot of actually making it on the 53-man roster. While he didn’t record a single reception, he did manage to carve out a role as a punt returner. However, it’s going to be hard to justify carrying both Duvernay and Proche on the active roster. There is really only room for one of them, and Duvernay offers far more potential as an actual receiver.
If you looked up “camp body” in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Jaylon Moore. The Tennessee-Martin product recorded 92 receptions for 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns during his collegiate career, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone that didn’t have an undrafted free agent grade for him as a prospect. Deon Cain has been in the league since 2018 and has nine receptions to his name. Both of these players will need to stand out on special teams to have any shot of sticking around.
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
