Why Rashod Bateman will make an immediate impact for the Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were looking to bolster the offensive weapons surrounding Lamar Jackson with their first round pick during Thursday's NFL Draft.
They chose former Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman to fill that void with the 27th overall pick.
Jackson burst on the scene during the 2019 season, helping lead the Ravens to a divisional round playoff appearance while throwing for 3,127 yards (66.1%), 36 touchdowns, and just six interceptions while also rushing for 1,206 yards and seven scores.
Last season, Jackson took a slight step back in production through the air, throwing for 2,757 yards (64.4%), 26 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Can Jackson put up better passing numbers heading into his fourth year as a pro?
With the selection of Bateman, it seems the Ravens are hopeful.
| Player | Catches | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Marquise Brown |
58 |
769 |
8 |
|
Mark Andrews (TE) |
58 |
701 |
7 |
|
Willie Snead (now with the Raiders) |
33 |
432 |
3 |
|
Devin Duvernay |
20 |
201 |
0 |
|
Miles Boykin |
19 |
266 |
4 |
|
J.K. Dobbins (RB) |
18 |
120 |
0 |
The Ravens wide receiving corps is youthful up and down the roster as Marquise Brown (two seasons), Devin Duvernay (one season), and Miles Boykin (two seasons) have a combined five years of experience between them entering the 2021 season.
Willie Snead, Baltimore's veteran and third leading pass-catcher from last season, signed with the Raiders during the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
The Ravens countered Snead's loss by signing free agent wide receiver Sammy Watkins recently. The seven-year veteran spent the last three seasons with the Chiefs and should serve as a solid one-two punch alongside Brown.
But, who will step up and be a go-to third option for Lamar Jackson in the passing game?
That is where prime opportunity awaits for a highly-skilled rookie, like Bateman, to come in and leapfrog guys like Duvernay and Boykin and make an impact on the roster.
Throughout his three seasons as a Gopher, Bateman recorded 147 catches for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns. That included a breakout year in 2019, where he hauled in 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns while earning first-team, all-Big Ten honors.
This past season, Bateman caught 36 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns in five games played.
Bateman is the first Gopher to be taken in the first round since Laurence Maroney was taken 21st overall by the New England Patriots in 2006.
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