From training camp is that the passing offense looks reborn. And looking better than it has in a while. One of the guys is 5th round rookie, Jordan Lasley.
The kid from Compton is seriously making waves in training camp.
When a General Manager and front office draft a wide receiver in the fifth round and on the third day of the draft, they usually don’t expect them to be a major contributing piece to the team right away. A good amount of fifth round guys end up on practice squads. Right now, that doesn’t seem to be the case with the former UCLA Bruin, Jordan Lasley. A 1,000-yard receiver his junior year with the Bruins, he was Josh Rosen’s go to guy to throw to. His off-the-field issues and struggle to hold on to the ball is what caused his draft fall.
A lot fans and even analysts expected GM Ozzie Newsome to go receiver on day one or day two. Pick after pick, receiver after receiver going off the board. You could say fans were getting frustrated and a little restless. With the offense that the front office put on the field the last two seasons, the fan base was anxious to have a receiver to be excited about. It didn’t happen until the fourth and fifth rounds, after all the key names were long gone. But, maybe, just maybe, Jordan Lasley was a needle in the haystack that Ozzie plucked out.
Could Lasley be the answer to the Ravens wide receiver blues?
The story coming from training camp is that the passing offense looks reborn. And looking better than it has in a while. One of the guys is fifth round rookie, Jordan Lasley.
Ravens rookie wide receiver Jordan Lasley continues to flash in training camp. He continues to get open by how well he runs routes. Lasley is more polished than the typical fifth-round pick.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) July 24, 2018
Lasley reportedly has been making plays since the start of training camp. Lasley even scored a touchdown on last year’s first round selection Marlon Humphrey, a cornerback who in 2018 had one of the lowest passer ratings when targeted.
Ravens fans have long awaited a wide receiver that could get them out of their seats. A player that they could be excited to see on offense. It’s a void that’s been waiting to be filled for quite some time. The coaching staff has the luxury not to throw Lasley to the wolves right away. With the additions of John Brown, Michael Crabtree, and Willie Snead they don’t have to if they don’t think he’s ready. But if he balls out in the Hall of Fame game and throughout the preseason, it begs the question of how long before the coaching staff will start him.
The Ravens were ranked 27th in total offense and 29th in passing offense in 2017. You could say the team is in dire need of a young explosive wide receiver that can plays on offense. I know its only training camp, but make sure to keep an eye out for number 17 when the preseason starts.