The Ravens drew headlines this offseason with a major revamp of their wide receiver room.
The additions of Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor give Lamar Jackson the deepest group of wideouts he's ever had. Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay are returning from season-ending injuries, providing Jackson with plenty of speed to stretch the field.
On paper, the playmaking potential is obvious. But will the wide receivers produce the explosive results the Ravens covet? Here's how things stand as we approach training camp:
Beckham and Flowers have built offseason chemistry with Jackson.
Beckham and Flowers were with Jackson recently in South Florida, building off the work they did together during minicamp.
The Ravens are expected to rely more heavily on their passing game under Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, which puts the onus on the receivers and Jackson to find chemistry quickly. The time that Jackson, Beckham and Flowers have spent together will help them start training camp with more familiarity, and Beckham's presence at minicamp should pay dividends down the road.
"I think that's part of quarterback-receiver play – be it running backs, tight ends, wideouts – is a certain level of trust," Monken said. "I think that's developed over time. That's why it's great that he's here, because you get to work together, and you get a sense of trust. Where they're going to be, how they're going to adjust, how they're going to change routes – that's a big part of it."
Bateman's Health Will Be Vitally Important
Bateman watched minicamp from the sideline after taking a cortisone shot in his foot as he continues working his way back from last year's Lisfranc surgery.
After missing five games as a rookie and 11 games last season, Bateman could be the wild card who lifts Baltimore's receiving corps to another level if he has a healthy NFL season for the first time. The Ravens may be cautious with Bateman during training camp, but he'll be a player to watch closely as the regular season approaches.
This Group Is Highly Motivated to Exceed Expectations
After missing the entire 2022 season with a knee injury, Beckham wants to prove he's still an elite receiver at age 30. Flowers enters the league with high expectations as a first-round pick. Duvernay is also returning from a foot injury, a Pro Bowl returner who covets a bigger role in the offense. Agholor is playing for his fourth different team and enters a contract year looking to show his worth.
If this group stays healthy, Head Coach John Harbaugh thinks the results could be special.
"I've got this pool table… and above that is a picture; Jacoby [Jones], Torrey [Smith and] Steve Smith [Sr.] are in there, and we're like doing something at practice," Harbaugh said. "I thought, 'That was a good group.' This group rivals that group, and it might be the best – we'll see. That's up to them to determine that, but I'm very excited about those guys."
