NFL Draft Rumors: Ravens to add WR prospects to satisfy unsettled Lamar Jackson after signing Odell Beckham Jr.
The Baltimore Ravens have made their biggest offseason acquisition of 2023 to date, signing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. amidst the Lamar Jackson saga. But they are not resting on their laurels yet.
Writing for NBC Sports' Football Morning in America, sportswriter Peter King explained why the AFC North contenders would be best served by adding a rookie receiver to complement Beckham and Nelson Aglohor:
Odell Beckham’s a good signing for the Ravens, but I doubt it changes their draft plans one iota. Baltimore still will strongly consider a first-round receiver, in part because the three or four top receivers should land in a bunch right around where the Ravens pick in the first round, at 21.
It’s [Odell Beckham Jr.] a nice signing, but expectations should be tempered. Beckham’s last mega-season was seven years ago (101 catches, 1,367 yards, 10 TDs as a Giant in 2017).
He also discussed what such moves would mean for disgruntled quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been wanting a trade since last month:
The best thing might be the sign it sends to Jackson: We want you back, we’re probably going to add one more bright-prospect receiver in the draft, and it’s all set up for you to take us deep in the playoffs.
Considering the relatively low cost of Beckham's ($15 million w/o bonuses) and Aglohor's ($3.25 million) deals, the Ravens can still afford to keep Jackson, especially with such a loaded WR lineup. But who would be the third receiver?
! In my column this week
:
A look back on my first draft in ’84 and how much has changed
OBJ lands with the Ravens – what now?Football Morning in America is up⏰🎊! In my column this week✏️:
⏳A look back on my first draft in ’84 and how much has changed
🗃Where things stand 17 days from the ’23 draft, and what we do (and don’t) know
💜OBJ lands with the Ravens – what now?
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/04/10/nfl…
Who are the Baltimore Ravens' WR options in the 2023 NFL Draft?
One such option for the Ravens would be Quentin Johnston. The TCU Horned Frog first established himself in his freshman year, recording 22.1 yards per catch - the rookie record in the history of the Big 12. After landing on the All-Big 12 team as a sophomore, he had a breakout year in 2022 as a junior, catching 60 passes for 1,067 yards and leading the school to the National Championship.
Another option is Jaxson Smith-Njigba of Ohio State. He was hampered by a hamstring injury last year as a junior, but his sophomore campaign is among the best in Buckeyes history: 95 catches for 1,606 yards and 9 touchdowns. He also tied and broke school records for receptions in a single game (15, which he achieved twice, one of them in the Rose Bowl), receiving yards in a single game (340, also in the Rose Bowl, making it an FBS Bowl record as well), and receiving yards in a single season (1,606).
Other names for the Ravens to consider include Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, and Josh Downs, among others. If the Ravens can lure Lamar Jackson back in with a promising pass-catcher, then they will have a very powerful passing offense to complement their historically great defense.