Welcome to Day 3 of State of the Ravens. If you’ve been following along so far, you’ve already read my deep dives into the quarterback and running back rooms. If you haven’t, read them here first, and then come back! Today, we move onto the position group that’s seemingly been a monkey on this team’s back for pretty much its entire existence: wide receivers.
2023 looked to be the start of changing those fortunes, however. Eric DeCosta struck gold in the draft, bringing in Zay Flowers, who became arguably the best rookie pass-catcher in franchise history. And yes, while some will say he overpaid for Odell Beckham Jr., I wholeheartedly believe that his impact was most felt off the field in the veteran wisdom he passed along to the younger receivers in the room. And, although he headed off to the sunny skies and warm beaches of Miami on a one-year deal, OBJ really set this group up for success in 2024, and the core guys outside of him were fittingly maintained.
Let’s take a look at the probable Week 1 depth chart:
Depth Chart
Zay Flowers — Rashod Bateman — Nelson Agholor — Devontez Walker — Tylan Wallace — Deonte Harty
A six-man receiving room is customary in today’s pass-happy league, and that’s what I fully expect the team to implement this year. It’s weird saying this about a guy only heading into his second year, but Flowers is a known quantity at this point. Most importantly, he’s the undisputed WR1. I’ve thought in the past that he’s what Hollywood Brown never was, but heading into 2024 I understand that Zay is really one of a kind. He’s so twitchy and elusive yet unafraid to go after contested balls despite his size. Wide receivers typically make their biggest jumps in their second and fifth seasons, and I think that Flowers is in for a massive year. His chemistry with Lamar Jackson is on point (and growing!), and it looks like he added a lot of muscle mass in the offseason. The arrow is truly pointing straight up for Zay.
Beyond Flowers, however, there’s a lot of potential but also a lot of unknown. I’m still a strong believer in Rashod Bateman, and I think the front office did itself a huge favor by extending him for cheap this offseason. He was seemingly always open in 2023, but Lamar struggled to connect with him downfield. A lot of this can be chalked up to injury; both LJ and Bate have been hurt often in their careers, with the latter missing most of training camp last year. Bateman had an up-and-down minicamp, but both he and Lamar seem to be committed to working out the chemistry issues in Florida over the next couple weeks.
Nelson Agholor was steady last year, hauling in 35 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll look to build on that success while passing along the knowledge he’s gained as a veteran in this league. Walker, a 4th-round rookie out of UNC, is someone who many believe could’ve been a 1st-round pick if he had more collegiate experience. However, many have cited his struggles to connect with Drake Maye as a point of concern. Still, he remains an adequate deep threat (he scored seven touchdowns in eight games last year while averaging over 17 yards a catch) and thus a good developmental WR4. Wallace and Harty will see most of their work come on special teams, but Tylan gets the edge in the depth chart because I see him as more of a receiving threat. All reports of his performance in minicamp and ability to connect with Jackson have been positive. Harty, in my eyes, is more of a pure kick returner.
So, what’s EDC’s plan for the future?
Three-Year Plan
Flowers will likely command a big contract extension in the near future, which makes me wonder if the Ravens will be inclined to trade him, especially given the current WR market. Ultimately, though, I bet the front office will give him a new deal. I also think Bateman will be around for the long haul, and Walker will elevate to WR3 next year to replace Agholor. I think DeCosta will draft another mid-round receiver next year to replace the aging Agholor, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he took another in 2026.
That’s a wrap for Day 3 of State of the Ravens. Check back tomorrow for coverage of one of the deepest position groups in the entire league: tight end.
One Response
I hope the throwing sessions in Florida help the Jackson/Bateman connection but I suspect it’s more about Lamar and Monken making a conscious effort to involve Bateman. We know Lamar looks first to his TEs and Zay. At least with OBJ gone there’s more chance he’ll look toward Bateman. The more Bateman is seen as a legit weapon the more dangerous everyone else becomes. The big unknown in this is the O Line. If the pocket is collapsing like in 2021 Lamar will go to his first read, and it probably won’t be Bateman.