Getty The Baltimore Ravens were predicted to draft WR Xavier Legette
It’s going to be a little while before we know exactly how much of their 2023 roster the Baltimore Ravens need to replace during the 2024 NFL draft.
The team has more than 20 players that can become free agents on March 13.
However, there is one position that already looks like it should be a priority for the offseason.
One recent mock draft has them addressing that need in the first round of the upcoming draft.
Pro Football Network’s Lorenzo Reyna predicted the Ravens would select South Carolina wide receiver Xavier Legette with the 30th pick in the NFL draft.
Legette put together a standout senior season in college, but there are still some questions about just how high in the draft he should be selected.
An Unusual College Career
At this time last year, many football fans had probably never heard of Legette and his name certainly wasn’t showing up on draft boards.
Legette spent the entirety of his college career playing for the Gamecocks but took a very long time to make an impact for the program.
Through the end of his fourth season with the team, Legette had only made 42 catches for 423 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Then he put together a massive fifth season. During the 2023 season, Legette made 71 catches for 1255 yards and 7 touchdowns.
It was an impressive season for the receiver, but there are still some concerns about him as a prospect.
A late breakout age and a lack of production for most of his college career could scare some scouts away.
If they’re willing to overlook those issues, Legette would fill a big need for the Ravens.
Ravens Need a WR This Offseason
The Ravens’ passing game took a big step forward during the 2023 season.
Thanks to a new offensive coordinator and some additions at wide receiver, Lamar Jackson had one of the best seasons of his career as a passer.
However, if the team is going to take the next step, they’re still going to need to make one more addition to their passing attack.
Right now, the passing game is led by Mark Andrews and Zay Flowers.
Andrews is one of the league’s best tight ends and Flowers showed some serious potential as a rookie.
Isaiah Likely also showed that he could be a dependable option if the team wanted to use two tight ends more often.
Beyond them, the options aren’t that great.
The Ravens signed Odell Beckham Jr. to a $15 million contract for one year. In that year, the former All-Pro was okay as the team’s second-best receiver.
He made 35 catches for 565 yards in his first year back from a major injury.
Unfortunately, those numbers still aren’t really what you want to see from your WR2, especially with what the team was paying him.
Next season, the team will also probably need to get more out of their passing attack than they did in 2023.
They had the best defense in football in 2023. During the 2024 offseason, they could lose a good chunk of what made that defense so tough to free agency.
If that happens, Jackson is going to need an upgrade at WR2 to keep up with the high-powered offenses in the AFC.
They could go after somebody from an impressive free agent class this offseason, but the draft seems like a more likely source for their next receiver.
Whether it’s Legette or a receiver with a longer history of production, the Ravens should be considering receivers at the end of round one.