MSB Mailbag: Baltimore Ravens edition
Each week the pool of writers for Maryland Sports Blog will publish articles answering questions on Maryland sports teams, players, and events that are submitted by the fans for the fans. Here’s the mailbag segment for the Baltimore Ravens:
Which four wide receivers will make the biggest impact this upcoming season and why?
The Ravens’ top five receiver spots are set in stone barring catastrophic circumstances like a COVID outbreak or season-ending injury—KNOCK ON WOOD. Those five include 2019 draft picks Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Miles Boykin on the outside who are both potential breakout candidates heading into their second seasons, veteran slot receiver Willie Snead and a pair of rookies in Devin Duvernay and James Proche who haven’t had a real offseason but have the confidence of their teammates and coaching staff heading into their first years in the league.
The Ravens selected Brown in the first round of last year’s draft at 25th overall out of Oklahoma. Despite still rehabbing from Lisfranc foot surgery that he underwent early on in the predraft process, he still flashed at times during his rookie season and even tied the franchise’s rookie record for receiving touchdowns with seven.
Now that he’s fully healthy and added a considerable amount of muscle without looking like he lost any of his elite speed, Hollywood appears to be poised for a big boom in production in 2020 as the reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson’s No.1 and most dangerous option in the passing game. He has the potential to not only unlock the Ravens deep passing game, but he could be the key to their quick-strike offense as well with the ability to take slants and other intermediate routes to the house.
Boykin was selected two rounds after Brown out of Notre Dame but appeared in more games and started just as many as the first-rounder in his rookie season with 11 starts in 16 regular-season games. Even though he didn’t eclipse 200 yards receiving on the year and hauled in just 13 receptions, the former Golden Domer flashed as well during his rookie year as a pass-catcher in limited opportunities.
He has the long speed to get behind defenses deep down the middle and up the sideline and his towering size and catch radius make him tantalizing red zone threat and jump-ball specialist. While he didn’t put up gaudy receiving stats, Boykin was a great downfield blocker. He helped pop many of his teammates for longer runs and he will only grow in that area of his game in addition to his ability as a pass-catcher after a quiet year in 2019.
Snead is the veteran leader of the group, the best run blocker of the bunch, and has been a sure-handed chain mover for Jackson during his first two seasons. He may be the incumbent in the slot for the Ravens passing game, Duvernay could eat into his snap count and ultimately usurp him for pass-catching opportunities because he is the more dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands.
The third-round pick out of Texas possesses excellent hands, inside/outside versatility, tackle-breaking toughness, and breakaway speed. Proche shouldn’t be counted out in the running for a spot among the top four but he’ll likely find his niche early on as rookie will be on special teams as a returner.
