Believing the hype during preseason can be dangerous, and the Baltimore Ravens can’t risk “jumping the shark” over a potential rookie “phenom.”
That’s the warning from Dave Helman of “The Athletic Football Show” about first-year wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane. The Ravens’ third-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft has strung together highlight-reel moments during training camp, but those moments are “jumping the shark a little bit. And all of a sudden being excited about a young receiver is doing a lot to distract us from what is otherwise a pretty OK group of pass catchers.”
Helman’s words form the customary note of caution about the Ravens’ receivers at this time of the year. Lane’s emergence has eased many of the usual concerns, especially when franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson is comparing the ex-USC wideout to Odell Beckham Jr. and another former Pro Bowler who suited up for the Ravens.
All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey also joined the cheerleaders for Lane. Humphrey thinks Lane is already a “legit threat.”
Statements like those set the bar high for Lane, maybe too high. The problem is he needs to meet expectations if the Ravens are going to have a competent No. 2 receiver to support the incumbent pass-catcher who got a major vote of confidence this offseason.
Ja’Kobi Lane Hype Train Is Positive
Considerable hype building around Lane doesn’t need to be a negative for the Ravens. It can also be read as a positive for a franchise that hasn’t had many reasons to be excited about the receiver position in recent years.
Beckham couldn’t recapture the magic of his early career after he moved to Baltimore in 2023. Veteran multi-Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins experienced similar issues in a Ravens uniform last season.
Lane’s selection was part of a necessary shift in policy for the Ravens after their ageing superstar reclamation program failed. General manager Eric DeCosta is now pinning his hopes on the promise of youth.
There’s been no shortage of promise about the way Lane has attacked his introduction to the pros. The 22-year-old’s been “making highlight plays nearly every day this summer,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
Those highlights prompted Hensley to proclaim, “In 27 years of covering the Ravens, I’m not sure I’ve seen a rookie have a training camp quite like wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane.”
Hensley believes Lane is already ticketed to be the Ravens’ third receiver. Lane making good on that prediction will be a boost for new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Especially when questions remain about his other receivers.
Ravens Still Face Some Uncertainty at Wide Receiver
Hensley’s parallel belief that Lane’s fellow rookie wideout, fourth-round pick Elijah Sarratt, “could be a game-day inactive,” shows the uncertainty about the rest of the depth chart.
Sarratt is a physical, contested-catch machine who can boss coverage over the middle, but he’s yet to show the same dynamism as Lane. It’s a different story for third-year pro Devontez Walker, who knows how to stretch the field and get into the end zone, but can’t seem to prove consistent as a complete receiver.
The same is true of 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman, who’s struggled to stay healthy and produced only sporadically when available. Bateman remains a talent, but this many question marks about this many receivers explains why the Ravens paid up to keep Zay Flowers this offseason.
Flowers earned his status as Jackson’s go-to target, but he won’t justify the gaudy, record contract he received without help from another playmaker. Lane still looks like the best bet to fill that vital role.
Ravens Get ‘Jumping the Shark’ Warning About Ja’Kobi Lane