The Baltimore Ravens finally have a good receiving corps. It’s something fans can say for the first time in eight years since Anquan Bolding and Torrey Smith suited up in purple. That’s thanks to Baltimore investing their draft capital in the position over the last two years.
Marquise Brown, Willie Snead and Miles Boykin are integral parts of what makes the Ravens’ offense hum. But with a prolific wide receiver class in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Ravens will undoubtedly look to expand upon the group and could potentially find their true No. 1 receiver if they grab one early enough.
Let’s take a look at the best wide receiver for the Ravens in each of the seven rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.
1st Round: WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
You knew it had to be Jeudy, right? The combination of speed and crisp route running would make an excellent weapon for offensive mastermind Greg Roman. Jeudy fits the mold of a prototypical starting wideout, although his frame could benefit from the addition of more muscle.
Jeudy has 65-plus receptions in each of the last two seasons at Alabama and could be a valued target of reigning MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who produced 36 passing touchdowns last season. Jeudy will likely be the first receiver off the board, so the only way the Ravens would acquire him would be to trade up.
2nd Round: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
I did an in-depth scouting report on Shenault in my probability-based mock draft, in which the Ravens selected him most frequently at pick No. 55. While he might not be the first wide receiver taken in the second round, he’d fit Baltimore perfectly.
Shenault is fast and shifty, which will force defenses to respect his deep speed while still having to deal with him in short routes and with the ball in his hands. Just like we saw with Brown last season, that’s easier said than done.
With Baltimore’s offense already having a ton of matchup problems for defenses to figure out, Shenault’s versatility would give them yet another and offer further balance in the passing game.
3rd Round: WR KJ Hamler, Penn State
The Ravens need to think about eventually replacing Snead, who is only under contract for the 2020 season. Picking up a slot receiver in the third makes a lot of sense and Hamler would be a great option inside for Baltimore.
Hamler was compared to Tavon Austin by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, which is fitting. However, he has less wear on his legs than Austin did coming out of college, though he still had plenty of production with a huge yard-per-catch average at Penn State. He’s got deep speed and wiggle in the open field. He can either stretch the field or take a short pass the distance. Hamler is also a talented return specialist, a role Baltimore is looking to fill this offseason.
However, just like Austin and even Marquise Brown, his size and durability are a concern. He could also fall into the same trap so many small but electric receivers have, struggling to find a real role outside of being the gadget player in an offense.
But in an inventive offense like Baltimore employs, Hamler and Brown being the “burners” should help open up the middle of the field for Andrews while creating further indecision from slot defenders and linebackers on where the ball is going.
4th Round: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan
Peoples-Jones has his drawbacks as an outside wide receiver but really shone bright as a big slot receiver at Michigan. Kind of an opposite to the Hamler pick in the third round, Peoples-Jones is a big-bodied weapon with surprising straight-line speed but he’s not going to make too many guys miss or come wide open on a sick break in his route.
However, pairing Peoples-Jones with tight end Mark Andrews over the middle would force defenses to play closer to the line of scrimmage and defend the seam. Brown’s speed on the outside in combination will split defenses and force them to pick where they’re going to get beat. The second the safety chooses a direction to cover, the ball is going to the opposite.
Peoples-Jones needs refining but has a lot to offer already. He can be a difference-maker in the right system.
5th Round: WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State
The all-time reception leader at Ohio State will likely drop to the late rounds due to problems against press coverage and a lack of deep speed. But where those knocks could see him fall, he’s well disciplined and detailed in his route running with great hands, which makes him a dependable — if unspectacular — underneath option.
He is incredibly disciplined and detailed in his route-running though and reminds me of a faster Willie Snead. Hill has hands like velcro, and if you need evidence of that, check out his tape from the last three seasons in which he posted 55+ receptions in each season.
6th Round: WR Dezmon Patmon, Washington State
At this point in the draft, teams are looking at players that either don’t have the physical skills but were productive in college or guys that have the physical traits but might never connect them together into production. In Patmon, you get a big-bodied wide receiver with exceptional speed but needs to improve everywhere else.
Though his size and speed make him a mismatch due to his natural physical talents, Patmon likely slides due to his inability to get separation. He’s got a slow release, doesn’t offer much change-up speed in his routes or following the catch, has limited agility to really break underneath, and doesn’t play up to his size and strength all the time.
Patmon is definitely a project but he has everything you can’t teach. If the Ravens were to take a chance on him this late, they’d likely be sidelining him for at least a year or two to build him into a more complete and consistent player.
7th Round: WR Malcolm Perry, Navy
Though Perry played quarterback at Navy, he was nothing short of prolific in 2019. He only has 470 receiving yards over four seasons with Navy but with his speed and size, he projects to be a much more interesting wide receiver or slash option in the right offense.
Perry impressed at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.63-second- 40-yard dash. Though that falls below the elite in this draft class, Perry is elusive in the open field and is a tough runner with the ball in his hands. However, it’s a tough sell for an undersized player without blazing speed who will be switching positions at the next level.
Perry likely doesn’t make it as a traditional wide receiver but as a guy that gets lined up all over the offense to create indecision for the defense and mismatches. If that sounds almost exactly like the type of offense Baltimore ran last season, you’ll know why we have him here in spite of his glaring issues.
