Can Torrey Smith Be A Number One Receiver?

Torrey Smith has performed incredibly well for a second-round pick over the first three years of his career. It was clear that he was a first-round talent coming out of Maryland in 2011. The Ravens weren’t sure who they should take in the first round of the 2011 draft; Jimmy Smith or Torrey Smith. The Ravens took Jimmy Smith with the 26th overall pick but they got Torrey Smith in the second round as a steal.

He excelled immediately.

In week three against the St. Louis Rams he hauled in his first three passes of his career; all going for touchdowns.

He continued his success throughout his rookie year with his blazing speed, and I mean blazing. He caught the game-winning touchdown with under 30 seconds to go in a big game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to give the Ravens a 23-20 victory on Sunday Night Football and eventually give them the AFC North title. He finished the year catching 50 passes for 841 yards and  seven touchdowns.

Watch Torrey Smith’s first three career receptions

He needed improvement in one aspect of his game and that was his hands. He dropped some easy passes in his first year in the league and it was clear that in order for him to take the next step as a wide receiver, his hands needed to improve. Sure enough, he worked and worked on it, and they improved mightily.

In his second year he dropped just three passes. This lead the way to a breakout year in 2013, when he topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in his career, finishing the year with 1,128 yards and a 17.4 yard-per-catch average. He was pretty much all the Ravens had going on for them on the offensive side.

However, even with all the success that Smith has found, the question still comes up; can he be a number one receiver? Why do people ask this question? Well, Smith himself might have a had a good season in 2013 but the rest of the offense didn’t. Maybe he doesn’t really help the offense.

However, I think that the year he had last year, without another receiver being ahead of him on the depth chart, should prove that he is a good choice to be the top wide receiver on the team. He is extremely talented and has done so at the number two receiver slot, so why can’t he do in the number one spot as well?

Torrey Smith has been mentioned in the same sentence as players like Julio Jones, Antonio Brown and perhaps even A.J. Green. He might not be as good as those guys, but he certainly has the potential to be one of the top receivers in the league for years to come.