Should the Baltimore Ravens Draft Breshad Perriman?

Nov 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights wide receiver Breshad Perriman (11) catches an 18-yard touchdown pass against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the first half at Bright House Networks Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Breshad Perriman is a freak of an athlete at the wide receiver position who has blown up as a potential first round pick since he ran between a 4.22 and 4.27 40 at his pro day. This new noise is somewhat unwarranted, however, for one major reason: people already knew that the 6’2″, 212 pound phenom was just a tad on the speedy side. On tape, he plays at a 4.35 (read: insanely fast, especially for his size).

You may have heard that the Baltimore Ravens are in need for a speedy wide receiver, as Torrey Smith signed with the San Francisco 49ers for a huge five-year, $40 million contract with over $22 million guaranteed earlier this offseason. The Ravens also cut Jacoby Jones, their only other speed merchant, as his role on offense dwindled and eventually disappeared down the stretch last season. Does this make Breshad Perriman a natural fit for the Baltimore Ravens No. 26 pick?

To find out whether Perriman was worthy of such lofty draft status, I watched his 2014 tape against NC State and ECU. The takeaway from NC State was that Perriman can run slants for days. He is given a huge cushion across the middle and is not at all afraid of crossing the middle. He also suffered from poor quarterback play, as he was underthrown constantly. His physicality was on display at the 2:40 mark of this video:

I love his tape against ECU, though, because I believe it truly encapsulates everything that Perriman is as a player. The first thing that stood out was how open he gets. One on one, no one could hang with him. He also makes big plays downfield, he bodies up a defensive back and catches the ball strongly with his hands even though he jumped early at the 0:28 mark of this video:

There is clearly the potential for dominance. That size and that speed is borderline unfair. But then comes the bad. At the 1:42 mark of the same video, he beats the corner easily. The safety is too far to reach him. He could easily have a 65-plus yard touchdown on a crucial 3rd and 9. And Perriman flat out drops it.

The occasional concentration drop is not the worst part of his game, either. His blocking is better characterized as shoving, as shown at the 2:17 mark. He is also muscled out of bounds on 3rd and 10 at the 2:25 mark.

Just when the flaws appeared to be building up, UCF needs a touchdown with 5 seconds left on the clock. They are on their own 49 yard line. The ball is snapped, the ball is thrown up to the moon, and Perriman comes down with the game winner, sneaking behind triple coverage.

The conclusion? Breshad Perriman is a speed-size freak that is boom or bust, often within the same game. Based on potential alone, he is worthy of a top-20 pick and would likely slot right after the trifecta of Amari Cooper, Kevin White, and DeVante Parker.

Yet when it comes down to it, he is not the right fit for the Baltimore Ravens. He will not be the flat-out best player available at pick number 26, and more importantly, Ozzie Newsome’s biggest blemish has been selecting wide receivers.

If Breshad Perriman miraculously drops into the second round, the Ravens should be ecstatic for the chance to get what could be a larger Torrey Smith. When history is taken into consideration, however, Breshad Perriman is not a fit for the Baltimore Ravens 2015 first round pick.

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