Wide receiver Daniel Brown's first collegiate catch at small-school James Madison was a touchdown against North Carolina.
His first NFL catch was a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Saturday night's preseason game.
Seems like Brown has a case to make to Head Coach John Harbaugh when it comes to determining the Ravens' 53-man roster.
"Maybe it's a trend. My first catch is a touchdown," Brown said with a chuckle.
In a tight battle at the wide receiver position, the undrafted rookie made perhaps the best catch of the Ravens' preseason thus far.
Brown hauled in a 28-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-5 Brown got overtop Eagles cornerback (and former 2013 Ravens draft pick) Marc Anthony, but Anthony got a piece of the ball. Brown still caught it, then bounced off a hit from safety Ed Reynolds to spin into the end zone.
After the game, Brown joked around with Ravens tight end Konrad Reuland, saying "I don't even know how … it just stuck!"
When asked by reporters whether he thought he was going to come down with the catch, Brown took a different tone.
"Of course you always have a lot of confidence you're going to catch it, but the ball was tipped and then I had my hands in the right place," he said.
"When you only get a couple a game you're going to catch them, right? To be honest, I didn't even feel the hit. My emotions kind of took over after I caught it."
Brown caught Harbaugh's attention during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamp. He was somebody the coaches were keeping an eye on during training camp. Brown hasn't consistently stood out, but he's flashed at times during practices. He has good hands and great size.
His development is particularly noteworthy considering his transition from Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) James Madison, where he caught 42 passes for 606 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior. Brown said the toughest thing to adapt to has been the speed of the game.
"Everybody is fast," he said. "It's not just the secondary; the linebackers are fast, the linemen are even fast."
Brown is likely still on the outside looking in when it comes to making the Ravens' 53-man roster. The receiver competition has been tight throughout and Brown is likely competing with fellow big-bodied wide receiver Darren Waller, second-year vet Jeremy Butler and fellow undrafted rookie DeAndre Carter for the final roster spot.
"I go in every day knowing that I can control what I can control," Brown said. "I go out there and put in the work every day. I do the best I can with 100 percent effort. I know we're deep and we have a ton of talent, but it can be anybody's day at any time."
