Greg Jennings Defends Forgotten Ravens ‘Difference-Maker’

Greg Jennings doesn’t believe the Baltimore Ravens made a mistake in the 2021 NFL draft. That’s despite injuries and a subsequent lack of production making one of the team’s first-round picks resemble a bust.

Jennings still thinks the Ravens chose the right wide receiver when they selected Rashod Bateman 27th overall. Now Jennings, who won Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers to cap the 2010 season, re-drafted every wide receiver from the ’21 class for The 33rd Team.

Bateman was one of the few wideouts in Jennings’ do-over who stayed put with the team who originally picked him. That might surprise some, but Jennings was adamant when Bateman’s “healthy, he’s a difference-maker for the Ravens.”

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Ravens Drafted the Right Scheme Fit in ’21

Jennings thinks the Ravens made the right call picking Bateman ahead of Elijah Moore, who went to the New York Jets 34th overall. Bateman was the better pick because of his superior scheme fit: “I’m a big fan of Elijah Moore, who was drafted by the Jets seven picks after Bateman, but with what I’ve seen from a healthy Bateman, knowing what he can do and how he fits in Baltimore, he’s just a better fit for what the Ravens need. Moore is — I hate to say it — more of a gadget guy, where you get the ball in his hands and let him do what he needs to do to make a play. Bateman is more of a route-runner and stretch-the-field type of player.”

It’s lofty praise for Bateman, who so far has only offered the Ravens 61 catches, 800 yards and three touchdowns as a modest return on their investment. Production is always going to be scarce when a player misses 14 games with groin and foot injuries.

He landed on injured reserve this season, but showed enough flashes early doors to make the Ravens believe he can develop into the dynamic contributor envisaged by Jennings. Bateman’s best game came against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2, when he turned four catches into 108 yards and a touchdown.

This 75-yard scoring grab showcased Bateman’s biggest value to the Ravens:

Specifically, the 23-year-old possess game-breaking speed after the catch. He unleashed the trait after winning with a nice route to the inside against the Dolphins.

Speed is necessary to turn short completions into long gains. It also helps to deter defenses from playing without safeties, the way the Dolphins did, per ESPN’s Bill Barnwell:

Cover-0 defenses are a common ploy for defenses keen to load the box against dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s powerhouse running game. Teams also risk not leaving safeties deep so they can condense the field against a small-ball passing game that goes through All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews and lacks big plays.

Instead, quick in-breakers are the foundation of a Ravens’ passing attack designed to exploit the middle of the field. Bateman is a natural between the hashmarks, but he needs to add a vertical threat on the outside, an area where the Ravens must get younger.

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Ravens Need Alternatives to Ageing Deep Threats

Throwing deep isn’t a Ravens strength, but the failing isn’t entirely due to offensive coordinator Greg Roman and his conservative, run-heavy system. There’s also a lack of credible targets who can go long.

The dearth of options in this area is summed up by the Ravens relying on veteran retreads DeSean Jackson and Sammy Watkins. Jackson is 36, while 29-year-old Watkins was signed off waivers on Tuesday, December 20 after he failed to make the grade with the Packers.

Watkins is now undergoing a second tour with the Ravens, and the ninth-year pro hasn’t forgotten how to stretch the field. He’s already proved as much with this 40-yard catch to help the Ravens beat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16:

It’s unlikely both Jackson and Watkins are back next season. Any decision about who to keep will be easier if the Ravens can rely on Bateman making a full recovery from season-ending surgery.

If he can’t, the Bateman pick will begin to look like one the Ravens wish they had back.

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