Baltimore Ravens select UCLA WR Jordan Lasley in 5th round

The Baltimore Ravens have selected UCLA wide receiver Jordan Lasley in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

It’s been a busy Day 3 for the Baltimore Ravens and they continue to address the pass-catching department.

After selecting New Mexico State wide receiver Jaleel Scott in the fourth-round, the Ravens went back-to-back receivers and selected UCLA’s Jordan Lasley with pick No. 162.

Lasley put together an extremely productive junior season in 2017, finishing with 69 catches for 1,264 yards and nine touchdowns. It helps tremendously when the quarterback throwing the ball is Josh Rosen but Lasley took the top off opposing defenses, averaging an astounding 18.3 yards per catch.

Drops have been a problem and it’s an issue Baltimore knows too much about. Lasley combined for 21 of those over his final two years as a Bruin. 

The production certainly caught the eyes of many teams including the Ravens but Lasley also suffered off-the-field problems. He was suspended multiple times and arrested twice during his time at UCLA. It’s why a potential first or second round talent dropped all the way into the fifth round.

What the Ravens are getting on the field is the potential for an extremely productive deep threat receiver. It’s an area the passing game desperately needs after Joe Flacco averaged 5.7 yards per passing attempt last season, ranked among the worst in that category.

Ozzie Newsome took a gamble with this pick but the front office has the luxury to do that with the absurd amount of Day 3 picks they possess. If Lasley can keep his head and stay focused on the gridiron, the Ravens will benefit. If not, then they only used a fifth-round pick on the selection. It doesn’t bring about the same criticism compared to the likes of selecting a boom-or-bust pick like Breshad Perriman in the late first-round.

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I do like that Lasley will be joining a veteran locker room with proven leaders like Terrell Suggs and Eric Weddle. Not to mention, he can learn under Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead at the wide receiver position.