Why Trace McSorely should be on Baltimore Ravens fans’ radar:
The biggest attribute the Ravens were looking for in the 2019 draft was speed. Baltimore was looking for play-makers who could torch opposing defenses within the blink of an eye. We’ve heard about the big names all off-season, but there is one player who seems to have been forgotten about.
All throughout the off-season there have been talks about Marquise Brown, Justice Hill, and Miles Boykin. Now, rightfully so as all three players look to play a key role in a new look Ravens offense that will be filled with numerous amounts of talent and play-making ability. However, the one guy that many analysts and fans have put in the rear is quarterback Trace McSorely.
Selected in the sixth round of this year’s past draft by Baltimore, McSorley played all four collegiate seasons at Penn State. In his junior season, McSorley was a finalist for both the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm and Manning awards after throwing for over 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns. In his senior season McSorely did more damage with his legs than arm. He ran for almost 800 yards to go along with 12 rushing touchdowns on 170 attempts.
More from Ebony Bird
- Will Baltimore Ravens be rewarded for risky Lamar Jackson decision?
- The Baltimore Ravens Big Gamble
- Ravens Super Bowl odds present fascinating insight on Lamar Jackson’s future
- Should Baltimore Ravens be interested in this recently released WR
- Do the Baltimore Ravens have serious interest in this free agent wide out?
While at Penn State, McSorley found himself running a RPO (Run-Pass Option) and zone read styled offense. Now looking at this it makes sense why the Ravens were interested and ultimately selected McSorley with pick 185.
During the combine McSorley had the fastest 40 yard dash time among all qualifying quarterback with an unofficial time of 4.57. This alone caught the eyes of Baltimore scouts. McSorley fit what the Ravens were looking for, speed. With a brand new offense created by Greg Roman and Lamar Jackson leading the charge it makes sense the Ravens would select the quickest quarterback in the draft class. Now clearly McSorley won’t be challenging Jackson for QB1, but he could become a huge factor for this Ravens offense.
If you’re wondering how the Ravens could utilize McSorley go watch some film of the New Orleans Saints and how they incorporated Taysom Hill into their potent offense. While he didn’t see the field much, the times he did he made an impact. Hill lined up as a receiver, running, back, quarterback, returner, and special teams rusher. Hill’s versatility made him invaluable to a Saints offense that ranked eighth in the league. When he lines up the opposing defense has to account for his ability to throw, run, and catch the ball. Hill creates a guessing game whenever he steps on the field. It’s possible that McSorely can be the same type of player for the Ravens.
He could be Baltimore’s Swiss-army knife and pairing another mobile quarterback, who can also throw alongside Lamar Jackson could keep opposing defenses up at night. Not to mention the likes of Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin, and Justice Hill, McSorley has the ability to add another dimension to an offense that is already filled with play-making talent.
Imagine this. The Ravens offense breaks huddle with Lamar Jackson, Brown, Boykin, Hill, Andrews, and Trace Mcsorley. As an opposing defense how do you account for the number of possibilities that lineup creates? It will make you giddy thinking of how potent this offense really could be if they stay healthy and execute. While I’m as excited as everyone else to see Brown, Hill, and others, McSorley strikes me as a major x-factor for this offense and could help this offense take a huge step forward when it comes to explosiveness.