Getty Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jordan Lasley breaks a tackle during an August 2018 game.
Former Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Kenji Bahar was drafted by the Houston Gamblers in the 12th round of the inaugural draft of the United States Football League, giving the Maryland native a new opportunity in professional football.
Bahar spent parts of the 2021 season in Baltimore, first during the preseason as an extra arm while Lamar Jackson had COVID-19 and later as a backup during the Ravens’ quarterback crisis. Bahar even dressed as the team’s second quarterback against the Cincinnati Bengals, though starter Josh Johnson played the entire game.
Bahar won’t be the only ex-Raven in the USFL, as 2018 Ravens fifth-round pick Jordan Lasley was drafted by the Tampa Bay Bandits in the 16th round. The Philadelphia Stars even drafted two former Ravens – cornerback Mazzi Wilkins in the 12th round and wide receiver Devin Gray in the 13th – though the two players did not overlap in Baltimore.
The Stars have selected Mazzi Wilkins. #ForPhilly
#USFLDraft Day 2, here we go!
With our first WR selection, the Stars have drafted Devin Gray. #ForPhilly
While all four draftees played in Baltimore within the last three years, none ever made the Ravens’ regular season active roster. Now, they’ll have a chance to start on professional teams in, most for the first time in their career. Bahar, for example, will compete with ex-Philadelphia Eagle Clayton Thorston for the Gamblers’ starting quarterback gig, though Thorston was taken with the 5th overall pick in the draft, per Heavy’s Mike Greger.
Read on to find out how Jordan Lasley, Mazzi Wilkins and Devin Gray can have an impact in the USFL!
Jordan Lasley
Lasley was the fourth wide receiver taken by the Bandits, after former Pittsburger Steeler Eli Roger as well as Derrick Willies and Derrick Dillon, so he may face an uphill climb to a starting job.
The UCLA product never played in a regular season NFL game, despite stints with the Ravens, the Detroit Lions and the then-Oakland Raiders. In his nine career preseason appearances, he lined up almost exclusively out wide, while playing some snaps on special teams as well, per Pro Football Focus.
Lasley’s most notable NFL moment did come as a Raven, though.
During training camp in 2019, he got into a fight with a few teammates and later celebrated a touchdown by throwing the football into a nearby pond, per the Ravens’ Clifton Brown.
Mazzi Wilkins
Wilkins spent most of his playing days in Tampa Bay, first in high school, then at the University of South Florida.
He then spent his first two NFL seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – making six total appearances – after going undrafted, earning praise as a “Tampa legend” from then-teammate Mike Evans.
“You’re a Tampa legend.” – Mike Evans to Mazzi Wilkins.
The Ravens then added Wilkins to their practice squad in October 2021 amid a slew of injuries in their secondary. He only played three snaps on special teams in his lone appearance against the Green Bay Packers.
Wilkins’ was the third cornerback selected by the Stars, but he’s played on the outside for most of his career, per PFF, so he’ll have to compete for playing time.
Devin Gray
Gray spent the 2021 preseason with the Ravens, but couldn’t make the regular season roster. He was on the practice squad for most of September, but had to be cut to make room for secondary depth like Wilkins.
He was the first wide receiver selected by the Stars, giving him a good chance to start in the USFL’s inaugural season.
The six-foot, 192-pound receiver has spent time in both the slot and out wide during his NFL preseason appearances, per PFF, so he’ll likely showcase that versatility for the Stars as well.