With the Ravens biggest offseason need undoubtedly being to upgrade their wide receiver corps, we take a look at another intriguing player that has flown under the radar at the position: Notre Dame wide receiver, Equanimeous St. Brown.
While it’s hard to believe that a 6-foot-5 wide receiver prospect is flying under the radar, St. Brown hasn’t garnered much media hype thus far. More of a testament to the depth of the wide receiver position in the 2018 NFL Draft than it is a knock on St. Brown’s talent, he has the tools to be the top wideout of this year’s class.
Standing at 6-foot-5, and 203 pounds, St. Brown’s build will immediately remind you of Bengals’ star receiver, A.J. Green. The similarities don’t end there either, as it doesn’t take long for St. Brown’s athleticism to jump out at you the same way Green’s does. Effortlessly moving in and out of routes in a way we’ve come to only expect out of smaller slot receivers. St. Brown has also shown consistent hands, regularly snatching the ball out of the air, away from his body.
A Look at the Production
The biggest knock on St. Brown is going to be the difference in production between his sophomore and junior seasons. His most productive college season came in 2016, with quarterback DeShone Kizer throwing him the ball. His production then took a dip in 2017 with a more inconsistent and run-centric quarterback in Brandon Wimbush. Here are his 2016 and 2017 stat lines side by side:
(Sophomore) 2016: 58 reception for 961 yards, and nine touchdowns.
(Junior) 2017: 33 receptions for 515 yards, and four touchdowns.
Like we so often hear, the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately?” league, and with St. Brown’s less productive season being the most recent one, there is likely going to be a fair share of teams that are going to be more down on him than they would’ve been if he had more QB consistency going into 2017.
The Take Home Point
Overall, Equanimeous St. Brown is a player that has the combination of size and speed that all NFL teams covet. His 6-foot-5, 203-pound frame will allow him to routinely beat smaller cornerbacks to the ball, and his speed will give him a step on bigger corners that match up better to his size, giving him an advantage over both kinds of NFL coverage defenders.
Next: Baltimore Ravens: Rating level of need at each position
The trait that will be most appealing to the Ravens front office would almost certainly be St. Brown’s consistent hands, as the Ravens have all too often lacked a sure-handed receiver. If the volume of talent in this year’s wide receiver class pushes St. Brown into the third-round, expect teams to be all over him, with Ozzie and the Ravens included.