The Baltimore Ravens knew they needed a leg-up this offseason in terms of their offense, which is why the team made a play to draft Rashod Bateman early on.
Bateman ended up with the team, and the Ravens haven’t looked back since. In fact, Bateman is only poised to have a bigger impact on the league as a rookie as some folks are projecting in 2021.
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Recently, NFL.com analyst Cynthia Frelund took a look at projecting the top 8 rookies in the league in terms of impact at wide receiver. As she wrote, Bateman comes in the six spot in terms of a player who should be expected to do some damage next year on the field.
She wrote:
“Ravens wideouts only logged 41 receptions of 10-plus air yards last season, as well as just 78 catches for 952 receiving yards when aligned out wide — all NFL lows, per Next Gen Stats. (Baltimore was the only team to earn fewer than 1,200 yards from wide alignments.) Route-running precision is a metric my model values more than most, and Bateman thrives in this area, especially when aligned on the outside. I’ve found that route-running precision leading to separation in college typically plays well in the NFL. Over the past two seasons in the FBS, Bateman ranked No. 3 among wide receivers in terms of route-running efficiency (as measured by reliable timing and the ability to create separation) on routes run from outside alignment. Pro Football Focus adds additional context here: Over the past two seasons when it came to intermediate targets (10-19 air yards), Bateman ranked second in the FBS with 44 catches and third with 697 yards. The only reason he ranks sixth on this list is the volume of rushing plays the Ravens are still likely to run.”
Though the Ravens figure to run the ball a lot, Bateman looks to be their top option in terms of pass catching. That sets up to make him one of the most productive wideouts in football next year as a rookie player on a great AFC team.
Bateman Impressed During Ravens’ Minicamp
Baltimore managed to work all their rookies into the fold in a confident way during the offseason program, but arguably, the most impressive player from the period ended up being Bateman, who made plenty of big catches and nice plays while being on the field with his contemporaries.
The Ravens posted a look at some of the goings on inside rookie camp over the weekend, and it was hard to miss Bateman getting up field and doing some damage in the passing game like the team hopes for him to do in the coming seasons on the field.
Here’s a small sample of some of Bateman’s best work from the weekend:
Smooth. 😈
Incoming 👀
During the weekend of work, Bateman’s smooth abilities to catch passes were amongst the top focal points for the Ravens. If there’s been one thing the team has needed, it’s a dependable deep threat to go with the other wideouts on the roster. Bateman hopes to provide this to the team quickly next season.
If this work was any indication, the Ravens could be in good shape to receive a boost from Bateman given plays just like this.
Bateman’s Stats and Highlights
It’s true what is being said about Bateman and he is a player who could be a major difference maker for a team that takes a chance on him in the draft. While at Minnesota, Bateman put up solid numbers, with 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns. As a result of this work in college, Bateman is seen as a potential stud in the making for teams in the draft, and could be a good alternative further down the board in the first round where the Ravens are slated to pick this season.
Bateman has proven himself the biggest weapon in Minnesota the last few seasons with plays like this:
Now, he will be turning those plays in for the Ravens, and along the way, it might only serve to prove how good Bateman can be.
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Ravens Wideout Poised for Top 10 ‘Most Productive’ Rookie Season