Receiving Corps Looking Intriguing for Ravens in 2015
One of the Baltimore Ravens’ front offices biggest struggles over the years has been finding a legitimate number one wide receiver. And even when they did find a solid man for the job, they had trouble finding an option at No. 2. They have possessed some good receivers throughout the years, such as Torrey Smith, Derrick Mason, and Todd Heap among others. However, they have really never had one of the better receiving corps in the league. This year, that might all change.
The Ravens selected wide receiver Breshad Perriman with the 26th pick of this years draft. Although this kids talent goes through the roof, he had his struggles catching the football in college. Think of a guy like Braylon Edwards for example: He also had a ton of talent and produced some productive seasons in Cleveland, totaling over 870 receiving yards in three consecutive seasons from 2006 through 2008. However, he sort of fell off the map after that, and did not accomplish much from 2009 until the time he retired from the league in 2012.
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Edwards had a ton of talent, but he dropped a lot of conventional passes. This not only led to his downfall, but also held him back from becoming the player that he could have turned into. Perriman is looking to reverse that fortune. The 6-foot-3, 209 pound receiver out of the University of Central Florida can very possibly become a force to be reckoned with in this league for years to come.
However, he will likely start the season as the second wide receiver on the depth chart. The primary target will probably be the veteran Steve Smith Sr., who has one year left on his two-year contract. The future Hall-of-Famer had a break out season last year, and surprised everyone when he caught 79 passes for 1,044 yards at the age of 35. The 79 receptions were the most he has recorded in five seasons.
One thing is almost definitive—Smith Sr. will not repeat the season he had in 2014. However, that does not mean that he can’t be a huge part of the Baltimore Ravens’ success this season. If he finishes the year with around 800 yards and lends out a helping hand to the young Perriman, then it will have been a more than productive season for Smith Sr.
Perriman, however, was not the only receiver that the Ravens added in the draft. In the second round, they selected the big 6-foot-4, 250 pound tight end Maxx Williams out of Minnesota. He recorded eight touchdowns last year with the Golden Gophers, and was proclaimed as one of the best tight ends to come out of this year’s draft. If Dennis Pitta can return from his injury and be even a shell of what he was just a couple of years ago, the Ravens could very well have one of the best tight end duos, and perhaps one of the top receiving corps in the NFL.