Stefon Diggs is a known commodity in Maryland.
He first caught the eye of college coaches around the country as a blue-chip recruit of Good Counsel High School. He then surprised many around college football circles by deciding to stay home and attend the University of Maryland as one of the school's most-heralded recruits.
He's now headed to the NFL after three years at Maryland, and he likes the idea of playing professional ball in his home state with the Ravens.
"I would love to," Diggs said Thursday at the combine. "I'm kind of staying close to home again if that happens."
Diggs already has a tight connection inside Baltimore's wide receiver room with Torrey Smith and Michael Campanaro.
Smith, who is an unrestricted free agent this year, is a fellow Terrapin who is still close with the Maryland football program. They never played at Maryland together, but the two wide receivers struck up a relationship and Smith has been a bit of a mentor to Diggs during the pre-draft process.
"We've have had numerous conversations, especially with me coming out [to the draft]. I had more conversations with him about where I should be training and what I should be doing. He just gave me a lot of advice," Diggs said. "I hope I can get the opportunity to play with Torrey. He's a great guy, great player, hard worker, good guy to be around."
Diggs also knows Campanaro, a fellow Maryland prep star. Campanaro thrived at River Hill High School while Diggs attended Good Counsel.
"I work hard just like them and that would be a great group of guys just because of the type of people they are," Diggs said about Smith and Campanaro. "They're a bunch of hard workers and good character guys."
Getting Diggs in Baltimore would give the Ravens another speedy receiver with dynamic talent. He had no problem stressing that he views himself as the top receiver in this year's class.
"We have a good class coming out, and I feel like I can compete with anybody. I feel like I'm the best receiver in this class," he said.
"I can produce, I'm going to make a lot of plays. I'm going to do everything I need to do. I work hard. I'm bringing my lunch pale and going to work every day, just like everybody else. I feel like I put in the time, so I'm not going to sell myself short and say I'm not the best receiver in this class."
Diggs (6-foot-0, 190 pounds) was a five-star recruit out of high school, but he's projected as more of a middle-round draft pick after injuries hobbled him during his time at Maryland. He never played a full season and finished his college career with 150 catches for 2,227 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had 62 grabs for 792 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games last year.
Despite the injury history, Diggs stressed that injuries shouldn't be a concern for NFL teams.
"I played through injuries, like anybody else, like any other athlete," Diggs said. "Just put on [the film from] Penn State. I had a lacerated kidney in that Penn State game, and I finished the game. So it's nothing like I can't play football with some injuries."
If the injuries keep Diggs out of the first two days of the draft, then he could become a high value pickup in the later rounds. Adding a playmaker with loads of potential would add some intriguing competition for the Ravens, and it would be a bit of a homecoming for Diggs.
"I'm 100 percent sure I can [make an immediate impact]," Diggs said. "I believe in my ability and my mental toughness. I know I can pick up a playbook, and I can compete with anyone."
