Last month, the Baltimore Ravens made Marquise Brown just the fourth wide receiver in franchise history to be drafted in the first round.
Here are six things to know the new important piece added to Baltimore’s offense:
Brown already knows Lamar Jackson
The world is a much smaller place than we realize sometimes. Brown and Jackson are already familiar to each other, having played in the same Pop Warner league.
That familiarity should come in handy as Brown will look to make a fast start in training camp and the preseason. With the Ravens’ offense being built around speed and big-play ability, having chemistry between the primary receiver and quarterback is a serious plus.
His moniker came from his hometown
With the gold fronts and charismatic personality, there’s no real surprise Brown’s nickname is “Hollywood.” But Brown didn’t earn that moniker by being some diva on and off the field. No, Brown simply got the nickname by being from Hollywood, Florida.
As far as earning nicknames go, it’s a pretty simple story. However, in the NFL, Brown can really earn the nickname for a whole different reason.
Brown is coming off foot surgery
Brown was on the sideline at the Ravens rookie minicamp, much like he was at the NFL scouting combine and Oklahoma’s pro day. Brown has been dealing with a Lisfranc foot injury that required surgery and has kept him from seeing the field since the middle of February.
Brown is expected to be ready come training camp, according to general manager Eric DeCosta. Baltimore has plenty of experience with the injury, seeing players like Terrell Suggs, Brent Urban and Jimmy Smith go through it in recent years.
That injury and subsequent recovery could put a damper on Brown’s early production. Even when he returns to the field, the Ravens are going to have to be more cautious with him and limit what he does. The hope is Brown can quickly get back to 100% and not have it limit his abilities during the regular season.
Brown is the cousin of former Steelers WR Antonio Brown
The Ravens had to defend against Antonio Brown for many years — a difficult proposition. Many fans wanted Brown to come to Baltimore, and now they get their wish, in a way. The Browns are related — cousins, to be exact.
While Antonio Brown was traded this offseason to the Oakland Raiders, the Ravens are hoping they actually got the better family member this offseason. The younger Brown comes in an inch shorter but significantly faster. If Marquise Brown can fix some of his early deficiencies, there’s a perfect blueprint for what he can become.
He has an unusual Heisman connection
Brown was aided at Oklahoma by having superior quarterback talent around him. Brown caught passes from Baker Mayfield (No. 1 overall pick in 2018) and Kyler Murray (No. 1 overall pick in 2019). Both quarterbacks hoisted the Heisman Trophy in their collegiate career. Now Brown will join Jackson, the third Heisman winner he will have played with in as many seasons.
Brown joins a Baltimore team that already has three Heisman winners on the roster: Jackson, Robert Griffin III and Mark Ingram.
He’s a big-time playmaker
Brown might be short in stature but that hasn’t defined his ability on the field, and Brown has certainly been productive. In 2018 at Oklahoma, Brown caught 77 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. It earned him a first-team All-America nod and a nomination for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best college wide receiver in the country.
Baltimore is hoping Brown’s big-play ability carries over to the Ravens offense. Brown was tied nationally for the most receptions of 40-plus yards, 50-plus yards and 60-plus yards.
It’s worth noting that in the NFL, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill had the most receptions of 40-plus yards in 2018 with eight. Brown’s 11 would have led the NFL by a wide margin.
Though Baltimore’s offense was considered conservative late last year, the Ravens appear to be setting up a quick-strike scheme for 2019. If Brown can continue to hit on those big plays, he’ll be considered one of the better wide receivers in the NFL immediately.
