OWINGS MILLS — One of the Baltimore Ravens’ primary goals entering the offseason was to add more weapons in the passing game for quarterback Joe Flacco.
They have accomplished that, and they may not be done adding.
Even aside from being interested in bringing in another tight end, the Ravens are intrigued by the group of wide receivers in this year’s NFL draft.
Former NFL scout and current NFL Network Daniel Jeremiah said during a recent conference call that this is the deepest and most talented class of receivers he can remember.
“If you need a receiver, this is your year,” Baltimore assistant general manager Eric DeCosta said. “You can get one receivers, two receivers, three receivers in this draft, and they’re all probably going to be pretty good.”
It’s not like wide receiver is a pressing concern for the Ravens by any means.
Torrey Smith had 65 catches for 1,128 yards last year. Marlon Brown had seven touchdown catches as a rookie, and Baltimore signed former Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith earlier this offseason.
The team also re-signed Jacoby Jones and has Aaron Mellette, a seventh-round pick last year who made some big plays during training camp and the preseason.
However, the Ravens could find a long-term answer at the position to go along with Smith, Brown and possibly Mellette.
“I would say that’s a position where you could probably draft a player in any of the seven rounds, and I think our board stacks that way,” general manager Ozzie Newsome said. “If there is an opportunity for us to add another receiver, we will definitely do it based on the way our board is stacked right now.”
Sammy Watkins from Clemson and Mike Evans from Texas A&M are both expected to be picked long before Baltimore is on the clock with the No. 17 overall pick, but DeCosta said there are about 15 receivers in the draft that he thinks are “very, very good players.”
Marqise Lee from USC, Kelvin Benjamin from Florida St., Cody Latimer from Indiana and Martavis Bryant from Clemson are four that reportedly had official visits with the Ravens during the pre-draft process.
All four are expected to be selected during the first three rounds, and Lee, Benjamin and Latimer are projected by some pundits to go as early as the latter part of the first round.
DeCosta also mentioned Odell Beckham from LSU and Brandin Cooks from Oregon St., who are both expected to go during the first round.
Read more about potential pass catchers here…
[cardoza_wp_poll id=”1118″]
