Ravens Urged to Add a 1st-Round WR in Draft to Help Lamar Jackson
ESPN Staff recently released their “2024 NFL offseason: Key free agents, draft notes, and predictions,” emphasizing the need for the Ravens to upgrade their WR corps through the draft. Notably, draft expert Matt Miller suggests that the 2024 draft class, stacked with talented wide receivers, presents an opportunity to provide Lamar Jackson with another top-flight target.
It’s worth noting that the Ravens used their 2023 first-round pick to acquire Zay Flowers, a wide receiver from Boston College. Although Flowers had an impressive rookie season with 77 catches for 858 yards and 5 touchdowns, experts point out that he is a speedy, undersized vertical threat. This has led to suggestions that the Ravens should consider adding a big-bodied wide receiver to complement Flowers.
TOUCHDOWN ZAY FLOWERS!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/vvOzEjxA5u
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 28, 2024
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Tankathon both highlight the depth of talented wide receivers in the upcoming draft, with Kiper ranking five receivers in his top 25 prospects and Tankathon featuring 10 receivers in their Top-50 big board.
With the Ravens holding the 30th pick in the first round, the availability of top receivers becomes uncertain unless they trade up. Matt Miller suggests that landing a big-bodied wideout like LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. or Texas’ Adonai Mitchell could be beneficial for the Ravens. Thomas, at 6-4 and 205 pounds, is known for his speed and red zone prowess, with 17 touchdowns at LSU. However, Tankathon projects him to go 28th to the Buffalo Bills. Mitchell, the 7th and 8th ranked receivers by Tankathon and Kiper, respectively, is another tall option at 196 lbs. Tankathon also proposes Florida State’s Keon Coleman as a potential big-bodied receiver at the 30th pick.
If the #Bears can’t get one of the top 3 receivers at No. 9, I wouldn’t be opposed to them trading back in Round 1 and taking LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr.
The more I watch him, the more I buy in. He’s raw, but he’s 6’4” with blazing speed and good ball skills. pic.twitter.com/8rnYkkJv4T
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) February 2, 2024
Considering the potential departure of key receivers in free agency, the Ravens’ receiving corps in 2024 might see significant changes. Odell Beckham Jr., Nelson Agholor, Laquon Treadwell, and Devin Duvernay are all set to become free agents, leaving Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman as the only receivers who saw substantial targets during the previous season. The departure of Beckham and Agholor, who served as the second and third receivers for the Ravens, underscores the need for the team to address this position.
While the Ravens will attempt to re-sign Beckham, the challenging cap situation and an estimated market value of $11.9 million by Spotrac make it a formidable task. Tight end Mark Andrews, leading the team with 6 touchdowns despite playing only 10 games, emphasizes the necessity for Lamar Jackson to have another reliable target in the red zone.
#Ravens Odell Beckham Jr. added $1 Million in incentives, making his 2023 salary a total of $16 Million.
– $250,000 for catching at least 30 passes
– $250,000 for scoring three touchdowns
– $500,000 for gaining at least 500 yards
Was OBJ worth the money? https://t.co/H4WStebomf pic.twitter.com/eJE5SgrNnW
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 30, 2024
The Ravens are advised to explore the rich pool of wide receiver talent in the 2024 draft to bolster their offensive arsenal, especially with the potential departure of key receivers in free agency and the need for a dependable red zone target for Lamar Jackson.
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