Getty The Baltimore Ravens are tipped to provide Lamar Jackson with anothet first-round wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft.
Whatever happens to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in this season’s playoffs, the star quarterback can count on having “another weapon” to throw to next season. A new addition to Jackson’s wide receiver corps will come via the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who sends Oregon’s Troy Franklin to Baltimore with the 32nd pick.
Jeremiah believes the Ravens drafting Franklin would be a way of “further strengthening an underrated receiver room.” Jackson’s wide receiver room has gone from suspect to underrated largely because the Ravens used a first-round draft pick at the position in 2023.
That selection yielded Zay Flowers, who has become Jackson’s go-to target during a prolific rookie season. Adding Franklin alongside Flowers would ensure Jackson gets to work with one of the more dynamic supporting casts in the league for the next decade.
A Flowers and Franklin partnership would also ease the pressure on the Ravens to decide the futures of veteran wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor. Both are pending free agents.
Lamar Jackson Would Thank Ravens for Another 1st-Round WR
Jackson’s enjoyed an MVP-caliber season because he’s been throwing to better receivers. Beckham, Agholor and Flowers have all made a difference.
The arrival of OBJ made headlines last offseason, but the 31-year-old is enjoying life with the Ravens and has lived up to at least some of the hype. Beckham snagged just 35 catches during the regular season, but he averaged 16.1 yards per grab and produced 27 first downs, per Pro Football Reference.
There’s good reason for the Ravens to bring Beckham back for a second season at M&T Bank Stadium. The same is also true of Agholor, who has snagged four of Jackson’s 24 touchdown passes, including this one against the San Francisco 49ers on Christmas Day.
Lamar to Agholor. Touchdown Ravens!
📺: #BALvsSF on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus t.co/pkwa8SXokx
Agholor has been impressive, but like Beckham, the 30-year-old is eligible to test the veteran market this year. Losing one or both of Agholor and Beckham would leave Flowers without an experienced mentor still effective enough to also take coverage away from his side of the field.
Drafting Franklin would solve the problem.
Troy Franklin Could Be Another Zay Flowers
Flowers isn’t the most physical receiver at 182 pounds, but he wins with speed and shifty moves out of his breaks. It’s why No. 4 has made creating separation his niche across a 77-catch debut campaign.
Those same attributes helped 6-foot-2, 170-pounder Franklin consistently beat coverage during an 81-reception final season with the Ducks. Franklin showcased “quickness off the line and great long speed” on these plays highlighted by NFL Network’s Kendell Hollowell.
#Oregon WR Troy Franklin Release Package
Quickness off the line and great long speed. One of the best deep threats in college football.
The latter dubbed the 20-year-old “one of the best deep threats in college football.” It’s an apt description considering Franklin averaged 17.1 yards per grab during 2023.
Franklin would give Jackson the true field-stretcher he needs to complete a revitalized offense. Beating defenses deep has been the only thing missing from Baltimore’s Jackson-led attack this season.
The Ravens produced nine completions of 40-plus yards, but Jackson still averaged only 6.3 completed air yards, per completion. That’s the same figure he mustered last season without Flowers, Beckham and Agholor, according to Pro Football Reference.
Nonetheless, the direction of the Ravens’ passing game is trending upwards. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken is calling a more expansive scheme and would surely use a genuine vertical burner like Franklin to help Jackson maximize his Super Bowl window.