Grades and Reaction to DeAndre Hopkins Reportedly Joining Ravens
Five years ago, DeAndre Hopkins tweeted a photo of him alongside Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry with the caption, "How many TD's would this trio total?"
The rest of the league is about to find out.
After being linked to the Ravens for several years, the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver reportedly reached an agreement with the team on a one-year, $6 million deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Here's a look at how pundits graded the Hopkins addition:
The Athletic's Mike Jones: "Grade: A. Hopkins saw his production decline significantly last season: He went from a 1,000-yard receiver in 2023 with the Titans to a combined 610 receiving yards and five touchdowns with Tennessee and Kansas City. Much of his minimal production in Tennessee had a lot to do with awful quarterback play. A full offseason to develop chemistry with Lamar Jackson should position Hopkins for a rebound campaign. He gives the Ravens a savvy veteran with good size and an ability to win contested catches, and the price is a win for Baltimore as well."
ESPN's Seth Walder: "Grade: B+. Hopkins probably does not have much left in the tank. The Chiefs indicated that when Hopkins was playing less than 50% of snaps at the end of the regular season and then only 28% of their offensive snaps in the playoffs. But $5 million? In a world where Tutu Atwell gets $10 million? I'm on board. There are some signs of Hopkins' demise being premature. He still posted a 70 open score in ESPN's receiver scores last season. Granted, it came with career-low (at least dating to 2017) catch and YAC scores. But the open score shows he still has something.
"Though his playing time dropped off, the 32-year-old Hopkins also recorded 1.8 yards per route run last season between Tennessee and Kansas City. You could do a lot worse than that. Here are some receivers who had a lower yards per route run last year – Jordan Addison, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle, Garrett Wilson, Deebo Samuel Sr., DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer."
The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke: "Grade: B. The Baltimore Ravens land a big-bodied veteran receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. Don't expect Hopkins to be a star in Baltimore's offense at 32 years old, but he at least provides some depth at a position the Ravens have struggled to get right over the years."
Pro Football Focus: "Grade: Good. Hopkins moves from one MVP quarterback in Patrick Mahomes to another in Lamar Jackson as he continues his pursuit of a Super Bowl ring. A knee injury may have limited his effectiveness last season, but while he's nearing 33 and past his prime, he can still be a valuable complement to Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman. His size and ability to win in 50-50 situations should provide Jackson with a reliable red-zone and possession target."
Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame: "Grade: B-. The Baltimore Ravens are trying to figure out how to get over the hump, and they're hoping a grizzled vet might help. With 12,965 receiving yards, Hopkins is the active leader in the category and almost certainly headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only hole in his résumé is a Super Bowl trophy, something he came within a game of winning this past season with the Kansas City Chiefs."
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton: "Grade: C. Don't expect Hopkins to turn back the clock with 1,000-plus receiving yards in an offense that ranked 31st in passing attempts last season. The Ravens made this move for the playoffs, though it's not a foregone conclusion that the veteran receiver can help them on a deep run. In three playoff games with the Chiefs, Hopkins caught three passes for 28 yards and a touchdown. This signing will make headlines, but it's not much of a needle-mover for an aging receiver in a run-centric offense."
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker: "General Manager Eric DeCosta said this offseason that the Ravens usually don't make a lot of 'splashes' in free agency, but for the second year in a row they did just that. After adding running back Derrick Henry last offseason, Baltimore agreed to a low-cost, one-year deal with five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. While Hopkins, who will turn 33 in June, is past his prime and won't have near the impact Henry did, he gives Lamar Jackson a mature and dependable weapon on an offense that was already No. 1 in the NFL last season."
The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: "This was exactly the type of targeted strike the Ravens needed to make after the initial rush of free agency began to calm. Hopkins' name might be bigger than his production in 2025, but that's not a problem for a team that doesn't need him to be a star. He'll be an overqualified role player on the most efficient offense in football, perfect for a guy approaching his 33rd birthday."
Russell Street Report’s Nikhil Mehta: "He's no longer the perennial Pro Bowler he once was, but his stint in Kansas City last season showed a solid WR3 who will benefit from a tertiary role in the Ravens' high-powered offense. … He won't be asked to eat 100-plus targets in Baltimore, but will bring his solid veteran presence and know-how to a young receiver room. Most of all, this is a fun move that doesn't preclude the Ravens from adding more talent at receiver through the draft."
Pundit Reveals How Much Teams Were Willing to Pay Ronnie Stanley
It's no secret that left tackle Ronnie Stanley would've been highly sought after had the Ravens not agreed to terms with him prior to the start of free agency on a three-year deal reportedly worth $60 million ($20 million per year average).
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer shed some light on what the market for Stanley would've looked like.
Breer said the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots were willing to offer Stanley more than $24 million per year, and the Chiefs were at $20 million.
Breer noted that "this stuff was spoken about conceptually," as the Ravens struck a deal with Stanley before the start of the "legal tampering" window.
Retaining Patrick Ricard Is a Win-Win
The Ravens retained another of their own players in fullback Patrick Ricard, who agreed to terms on a one-year deal reportedly in the $2.9 million range.
"This should come as no surprise and makes sense for both sides," Russell Street Report’s Chad Racine wrote. "When Todd Monken arrived, the question was if there would be a role for Pat. Two years later, and now with Derrick Henry on the roster, it would be a real shame not to have Ricard."
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley said bringing back Ricard benefits the Ravens both on the field and financially.
"Baltimore brought back Ricard on a one-year deal worth $2.872 million, which is less than his $4 million salary a season ago," Hensley wrote. "The critical part for the Ravens is Ricard will only count $1.422 million against the cap because of a wrinkle with the CBA that allows players to have a lower cap number if they've been with the same team for four or more seasons.
"Ricard is known as 'Pancake Pat' because of the number of times he's put defenders on their backs. He was named first-team All-Pro for the first time last season after helping the NFL's No. 1 rushing attack average 5.8 yards per carry, which was the best in a single season in NFL history."
Should Ravens Pursue Za'Darius Smith?
The Ravens could be in the market for a veteran edge rusher, and Za'Darius Smith is a potential option.
Smith, who was drafted by the Ravens in 2015 and played four seasons in Baltimore, reportedly was released by the Detroit Lions.
"Baltimore has long brought in veterans in the front seven, and more often than not, those signings have paid off," Sports Illustrated’s Jarrett Bailey wrote. "Elvis Dumervil, Calais Campbell, Kyle Van Noy – all signings that have led to great success for Baltimore. At the very least, Smith would be a good rotational edge rusher who can still get to the quarterback."
Smith, 32, a three-time Pro Bowler, had nine sacks last season with the Lions and Cleveland Browns.
Smith agreed to terms to return to the Ravens in 2022, but the deal wasn't finalized and he signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
