What were your interactions like with the Ravens before the Draft and did you see them all along as a legitimate option to take you? (Jeff Zrebiec) "That was probably my best visit; that was probably my favorite visit. I knew if I reached [pick] 22, I had a feeling they were going to pick me. So, it worked out perfect. [I'm] ready to get to work; ready to get some wins; ready to go play with Lamar [Jackson]; ready to go play with 'O' [Odell Beckham Jr.]; ready to go build this receiving corps all the way up."
Steve Smith Sr. said you remind him of himself. Was he somebody that you always looked up to, and what does that mean to you to be compared to him? _(Ryan Mink) _"Yes, I've been watching his tape since I was, what – six or seven years old? My dad always told me, 'It doesn't matter about size; it's about what's in your chest.' He always kept me motivated and said, 'You have to be like Steve Smith. Steve Smith was a dog.' So, that's what made me like him, and love him and watch him a lot. So, it means a lot to look up to him, and to get to meet him was extremely great."
You kind of mentioned a little bit about playing with QB Lamar Jackson and WR Odell Beckham Jr. Talk about the excitement about playing alongside a couple of guys that you've watched. _(Jamison Hensley) _"Those are two guys that are explosive, that can make plays at any time. You know what Lamar [Jackson] can do, and you know what Odell [Beckham Jr.] can do. You've seen flashes of it; it just so happened that he got hurt, but now he's back and it looks like he's 100 [percent]. Then, I'm coming in. Then, we have 'Bate' [Rashod Bateman] on the outside, then we have J.K. [Dobbins] in the backfield. So, it's going to be fun."
At the Combine, you were talking about that you are a guy who can play outside and inside. I know there's been talk about your size, but can you talk about why you think you'll be a guy they can move around in this offense? _(Cliff Brown) _"Because I can do whatever you need me to do. I can run every route you give me; I can separate; I can make competitive catches. So, whatever you have to do to play on the outside, I feel like I can do, and I can do it at a high level."
What do you remember about QB Lamar Jackson from growing up in South Florida, and secondly, how important was staying at Boston College for your final year in terms of your development? _(Brian Wacker) _"My first time seeing something about Lamar [Jackson] was when he made the high school move where he like pointed at them and walked into the endzone. When I found out that was him, I was like, 'Oh, yes. He's going to be special when he gets to the league.' Why I stayed at B.C. was because B.C. gave me my first opportunity. They gave me an opportunity to play Power Five football, and I knew what I was going to get from B.C. I was able to showcase that."
You were the third of four consecutive wide receivers that went off the board. What was it like waiting in the green room when you had so many guys coming off – quarterbacks, running backs and linemen – and they weren't picking wideouts? (Kevin Richardson) "Honestly, I knew [that] if I got to [pick] 22 that I was going to be a Raven. And we're just going to make every team that didn't pick [me] pay for it." (laughter)
You had a career high in catches, yards and touchdowns this past year at Boston College. What changed for you in your senior year? (Cordell Woodland) "I don't think anything really changed. I think I had more opportunities to go out and create plays and have more freedom in the offense and move around in positions, and not just stick to one position and run a certain amount of routes."
With the four wide receivers going in a row, was there any kind of competitiveness? I know you're a competitive player. Was there any kind of a feeling of, "Hey, I wanted to be the first" or whatnot? (Ryan Mink) "Honestly, I never even really paid attention to it. I just wanted to get my foot in the door and have a team give me a chance to prove them right about why they drafted me."
I think you were connected as far back as the Shrine Bowl to the Ravens. It looked like they were kind of watching your every move. What do you remember from that experience, and what did you take away from that early stage in the pre-Draft process? (Jonas Shaffer) "Honestly, I built a relationship with [quarterbacks] Coach Tee Martin early. At the Shrine Bowl, we just sat on the sideline – because I practiced one day, and the rest, I sat out – and we were just chopping it up the whole time. He [was] just picking my brain, like, 'Why do you think you can play outside? Oh, so you think you're a dog?' So, I like that kind of competitiveness and him challenging me, and I built a connection with him right there."
Was it wild to get picked on the same day that QB Lamar Jackson signed his extension? When you saw that news earlier, did that kind of feel like, "Hey, I want to be part of that celebration?" (Childs Walker) "When I saw him [Lamar Jackson] sign that, I was like, 'Oh, if I go there, it's going to be a lot of trouble on the field.' (laughter)But I was happy for him. I'm glad he got what he wanted, and we're double juiced up."
What were the emotions when you got the call and knew it was going to be the Ravens while you were in the green room? What was running through your head? (Ryan Mink) "Honestly, I was just saying, 'Let's get to work; let's go win; let's go play.'"
You talked about playing on the outside and being a "dog" and what that requires. Do you have a preference on playing on the outside versus inside as a wide receiver? (Kyle Barber) "I feel like I can be moved all around, so I don't really have a preference."
