OWINGS MILLS — The Ravens have young wide receivers eager to prove that they are among the best in the NFL
However, there are questions surrounding that group.
In the latest wide receiver rankings by Pro Football Focus, the Ravens were 23rd among the NFL’s 32 teams. The analytics website likes Zay Flowers, but there is uncertainty behind him on the depth chart.
The San Francisco 49ers had the No. 1-ranked wide receivers group led by Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, followed by the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, and Houston Texans. The New England Patriots had the lowest group of wide receivers.
“Zay Flowers earned a 75.6 PFF overall grade as a rookie and should continue to be a big player, but Baltimore will need more from Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor to ascend this list,” writes PFF’s Trevor Sikkema.
Flowers led the team with 77 receptions for 858 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He is expected to make more strides this season as he becomes more comfortable with the speed of the NFL.
Last season, Bateman appeared in 16 regular-season games and finished fifth on the team with 32 receptions for 367 yards and a touchdown. General manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh have high expectations for Bateman, who signed a two-year contract extension in April.
The Ravens also re-signed Agholor to a one-year deal this offseason. He caught 35 passes for 381 yards and four touchdowns in 2023.
The Ravens selected Devontez Walker in the fourth round of this year’s NFL draft. He has the pedigree to push for playing time in his rookie season. Last year as a junior at North Carolina, Walker appeared in eight games with six starts and had 41 receptions for 699 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named third-team All-ACC.
“I’m excited about the wide receiver position,” Harbaugh said. “I’m looking forward to seeing this offense come together, and we’ve been working the personnel side of it; we’ve been working the scheme side of it; we’ve been working with the individual players – developmentally. You put all those things together, and you get out there, and you start practicing, and you get ready to play games.”
The Ravens also have one of the best groups of tight ends in the NFL with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar. Those three are expected to be a boost to the passing game.
Despite missing six games with a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his left ankle, Andrews still ranked second on the team with 45 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns, the best among the receivers.
Likely scored six touchdowns in seven games while Andrews was sidelined.
The wild card is Kolar, who played well in limited action. Kolar was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 87 yards with a touchdown. His size — 6 feet 6, 270 pounds — also gives him the potential to become an exceptional blocker.
“Tight end Mark Andrews‘ injury in 2023 significantly lowered the ceiling of the Ravens’ receiving group,” Sikkema. wrote. “Andrews, who comes in at No. 3 in PFF’s tight end rankings ahead of the 2024 season, is joined in the tight end room by a good running mate in Isaiah Likely.”
