James Proche could give Ravens more at punt returner

The Baltimore Ravens drafted James Proche in the sixth round and he could give them an upgrade at punt returner:

Before we get into the Baltimore Ravens newcomer James Proche, let’s talk about DeAnthony Thomas. Thomas is the epitome of a place holder punt returner. There’s nothing all that awful about his performance and there’s nothing all that great either. The Ravens are getting the bare minimum from their punt return specialist. This is why Proche becoming the starting punt returner is a popular prediction.

On one hand there aren’t a lot of yards to be gained by a punt returner. In 2019, The New Orleans Saints’ Deonte Harris led the NFL in punt return yards with 338 yards on 36 returns. A punt returner’s contributions are like loose change in your pocket. A 1,000 yard running back is the five dollar bill in your wallet. Here’s the thing, the change rattling around next to your wallet and your car keys actually adds up if you’re smart about it. 338 yards is an amazing coin jar for the Saints.

Let’s get back to Thomas. Thomas wasn’t captain fair catch. To his credit, he caught the ball and made a return attempt most of the time. He only had eight called fair catches. and returned 26 punts. The problem Harris had was that he picked up 5.7 yards per return which is the 25th best average in the NFL. Harris averaged a solid 9.4 yards per return. Harris would have picked up 244.4 yards with 26 returns. Baltimore isn’t getting the most out of their loose change.

Now we get to talk about James Proche, which is the reason you’re here. He wasn’t exactly a young Devin Hester at SMU, however he was more than serviceable. In his senior season he averaged over nine yards per return. The year before that, Proche had just over eight. The average yards per return is the key statistic. It tells you what you typically get from the punt returner.

Proche has less speed than Thomas, but he is a more natural play-maker. Proche has the elusiveness, vision and toughness that Thomas seems to lack. At SMU, Proche was exciting after the catch. That showed off his make you miss ability and his ability to run towards the open field. The fact that he was just about dominant while being 5-11 and under 200 pounds  shows you how tough he is.

It may have only been at SMU, but Proche was a number one receiver at the College Football level. You don’t have two seasons over 1,000 receiving yards without having the skills of a dynamic play-maker. Proche has high potential period. It’s not just as a special teams player, but also at wide receiver. If you gave Proche elite straight line speed there wouldn’t be many differences between his game and that of Marquise Brown‘s. Proche may have to wait to be a difference maker at wide receiver but as a punt returner he can start immediately.

Baltimore has been shuffling through punt returners. Cyrus Jones was it, then he fumbled against the Patriots. Michael Campanaro and Devin Hester got their turns, but neither of them were a Jacoby Jones or a Jermaine Lewis. John Harbaugh got his start as a special teams coach and his Ravens years have been filled with quality special teams play. While 2019 was kind of a down year for the Baltimore special teams, you have to think the right return man could make all the difference.

The Bottom Line:

We get caught up in speed when we think about punt returners. It’s more about quickness and the ability to make plays in the open field. Proche has the potential to give the Ravens more than Thomas as a punt returner. He has the play-making ability that will give the Ravens more from the average punt return. If the Ravens can go from their main punt returner picking up 148 yards to anywhere from 250-300 yards that will make a big difference. Lamar Jackson doesn’t need a ton of help moving the football. Giving him better field position is an exciting proposition.

You may be thinking that because Thomas got his start after the week 11 game against the New England Patriots, that I’m being a little unfair. He had half of his returns with Kansas City and his stats for the Ravens were more flattering than they were for the Chiefs. The point is no matter how you look at it, the Ravens can get more out their punt return game.