Ravens WR Miles Boykin’s ramped up performance in practice could keep Dez Bryant off the roster
Despite not being on the team and having just touched down in the BWI airport last night, free agent veteran wide receiver Dez Bryant has been the talk of the town and certain league circles since news broke on Monday morning that the Baltimore Ravens would be hosting him for a workout sometime later this week.
News of former three-time Pro Bowler potentially coming in and taking reps in training camp and possibly even the regular season if he makes the final roster seems to have lit a bit of a fire under second-year wide receiver Miles Boykin.
According to reports, the 2019 third-round pick out of Notre Dame had a great day of practice on the team’s second day in pads on Tuesday. He was especially impressive when it came to making plays deep down the field, on the boundary, and coming down with the ball in contested catch situations.
Boykin caught the most passes of all receivers on the second day of padded practice per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. He tweeted that Boykin’s best catch of the day came on a leaping grab over First-Team All-Pro corner Marlon Humphrey along the sideline where he perfectly timed his jump to put himself in an advantageous position to make the catch.
Even though he was targeted just 22 times and recorded just 13 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games, including 11 starts, as a rookie last season, Boykin and fellow second-year wideout Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown are projected to break out in 2020. Since they have had a full offseason to refine their craft, get more familiar with the scheme and recover from any lingering injuries, the team is expecting much larger contributions in the passing and running game from both of them.
While Boykin hasn’t gone through the same Super Saiyan level three physical transformation as Hollywood who added 20 pounds of muscle since the season ended, he spent the offseason training relentlessly to improve every area of his game from catching 500 balls a day on the jugs machine that he purchased to his overall speed and route-running ability.
Due to age and attrition, Bryant’s once-dynamic game-breaking playmaking ability has eroded significantly. He hasn’t played a snap in an actual game since Dec. 31, 2017, when he last suited up for the Dallas Cowboys before being released in the spring of 2018.
At this stage in his career even though he appears to be in good shape based on numerous on-field workout videos that he’s posted on social media this offseason, the 31-year old doesn’t offer much more than a big-bodied possession receiver with questionable hands but could still use his large frame and catch radius to pose a threat in the red zone. He could bring more veteran leadership to a young locker room and has been adamant about being ready and willing to contribute in the run game as a downfield blocker.
However, Boykin not only flashed playmaking ability as a dangerous red-zone target, contested-catch specialist, and deep threat in limited opportunities as a rookie, but he was an excellent downfield blocker in the Ravens’ record-setting rushing attack as well.
He possesses more youth, speed, and upside than Bryant and if he continues to show out in practice, he could make the veteran’s visit to the Under Amour Performance Center later this week a wasted trip and nothing more than pulse check for a player they might want to keep on their radar in the event of an injury during camp or the regular season.
