Rashod Bateman already has the look of a veteran wide receiver.
He’s smooth at running his routes and has made exceptional catches throughout the early days of training camp.
At the Ravens’ recent practice at M&T Bank Stadium, Bateman faked a move inside and then ran down the sidelines past Pro-Bowl cornerback Marlon Humprhey and hauled in a perfect pass from backup quarterback Trace McSorley.
Rookie WR Rashod Bateman is showing off. (via @Ravens) @R_bateman2
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— NFL (@NFL) July 31, 2021
It was a play the Ravens hope to see several times this season as they look to be more explosive with a passing attack that ranked last in the NFL last season.
“That’s just the mentality that you have to have every single play,” Bateman said. “You never know where the ball is going to go, you have to have that mentality every play. Marlon has done a good job of making me better. I’m making him better, and that’s just the competition that we’ve got going on this training camp. I love it, I love the competition. We’re all just getting better each and every day.”
Baltimore selected Bateman in the first round of the draft and the coaches expect him to fight for a starting job. So far, that has proven to be a wise decision.
Fellow wide receiver Sammy Watkins expects Bateman to make a vital impact in his first year.
“I just feel like he’s already prepared; he’s already a pro. I wouldn’t tell him that,” Watkins said. “He’s just already … He runs routes, he’s doing the right things, he’s taking coaching; he’s out there busting his behind.
“And honestly, it’s rare to have a receiver come in prepared in this league, and I can say he’s definitely prepared with everything that they’ve been throwing at him, and I just feel like he’s going to have a successful career and year, this year.”
In addition to his solid hands, Bateman also has the speed to get behind an NFL secondary. The key for him is to stay healthy. He has dealt with some muscle tightness throughout the past week of practice.
“Training camp is training camp,” Bateman said about the grind. “It’s a grind. It doesn’t matter where you go. But that’s the best part, because eventually, you get to see all of your work pay off. Everything that we’re doing now – we’re chasing something special. Everything that we’re doing now is going to benefit us in the long run.”
Bateman has pedigree as a playmaker and was one of the most productive wide receivers in the history of the University of Minnesota. He caught at least one pass in all 31 games he appeared and had 147 receptions for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns — fifth in school history.
He also recorded ten 100‐yard receiving games — fourth in school history
The Ravens are confident those skills will translate to the pro level.
“I think one of the things that really stood out about Rashod is his safety awareness,” Ravens director of college scouting Joe Hortiz said. “That’s really critical, I think, for receivers to find success early is just overall awareness of the defense and what the defense is doing to him pre-snap, during the play, post-snap when everything is moving, when bodies are moving – to be able to process that, and I think he can do that pretty well with his instincts and his feel.”
