Getty Rashod Bateman catches a pass for Minnesota.
A huge goal of the Baltimore Ravens this offseason was to get some new weaponry to complement Lamar Jackson, and the team managed to get that done in the 2021 NFL Draft in a big way.
With their first selection, the Ravens managed to pick up Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman, who perhaps went a bit later in the draft than first thought. That move managed to be a good one for the Ravens, who filled their need for an explosive young wideout early on.
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Now, when looking at that move, it’s been rated to be one of the best of the 2021 offseason. Recently, Bleacher Report ranked the top 25 moves of the NFL offseason, and Baltimore landing Bateman cracked the list. Writer Brad Gagnon seemed to appreciate the value the team got in adding such a weapon to the mix. He ranked the move the 13th best of the NFL offseason.
As for why, he wrote:
“The ideal draft scenario is to get great value for a player who also fills a need, and that’s exactly what happened to the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 27 overall pick on April 29.
No receiver on the Ravens roster had 800 yards in 2020, and only Marquise Brown had more than 500. Willie Snead IV was the only other wideout with more than 300, and he’s now a member of the Raiders. They did bring in the talented but injury-prone Sammy Watkins, but they needed to give quarterback Lamar Jackson another weapon this offseason.
Rashod Bateman does the job.
The smooth Minnesota product runs extremely crisp and reliable routes. And while his 2020 campaign was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he averaged a ridiculous 20.3 yards per reception in 2019.
The final big board from the B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked Bateman ninth overall, above both Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle (who were selected fifth and sixth overall, respectively). It’s hard not to love the selection.”
If Bateman turns out to be better than all of the other wideouts who went above him, that would be a huge advantage for the Ravens, and something which boosted the team in a major way at one of their weakest spots.
Bateman Already Impressed During Rookie Camp
Baltimore managed to work all their rookies into the fold in a confident way a few weeks back during rookie camp, but arguably, the most impressive player ended up being wideout Rashod Bateman, who made plenty of big catches and nice plays while being on the field with his contemporaries.
The Ravens posted a look at some of the goings on inside rookie camp over the weekend, and it was hard to miss Bateman getting up field and doing some damage in the passing game like the team hopes for him to do in the coming seasons on the field.
Here’s a small sample of some of Bateman’s best work from the weekend:
Smooth. 😈
Incoming 👀
During the weekend of work, Bateman’s smooth abilities to catch passes were amongst the top focal points for the Ravens. If there’s been one thing the team has needed, it’s a dependable deep threat to go with the other wideouts on the roster. Bateman hopes to provide this to the team quickly next season.
If this work was any indication, the Ravens could be in good shape to receive a boost from Bateman given plays just like this.
Bateman’s Stats and Highlights
It’s true what is being said about Bateman and he is a player who could be a major difference maker for a team that takes a chance on him in the draft. While at Minnesota, Bateman put up solid numbers, with 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns. As a result of this work in college, Bateman is seen as a potential stud in the making for teams in the draft, and could be a good alternative further down the board in the first round where the Ravens are slated to pick this season.
Bateman has proven himself the biggest weapon in Minnesota the last few seasons with plays like this:
It’s possible the move to add him to the mix will simply prove to be another stroke of genius for the Ravens.
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