3 reasons Ravens fans are hyped about James Proche
2. He was extremely productive at SMU
There is productive and then there is James Proche at SMU productive. In 2019, Proche had 111 receptions for 1,225 yards and 15 touchdowns. The year before that Proche had 93 grabs for 1,199 yards and 12 touchdowns. While it took him a couple years to get to the elite threshold of production he had four straight seasons with at least six touchdowns. At the collegiate level, Proche was an unquestioned play-maker.
We’re not talking about a player who had one good year and then went off to the NFL. We’re talking about a player whose impact on his team increased every single year, right along with his production. SMU has actually churned out enough good receivers that you kind of have to take notice. Courtland Sutton is a star receiver for the Denver Broncos (coincidentally he was my draft crush in 2018).
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SMU is also the college of Cole Beasley, Emmanuel Sanders and on a smaller note Trey Quinn. It’s not the SEC or the Big 10 however, production at SMU cannot be ignored at the wide receiver position. When you consider that Proche had more touchdowns and yards than even Sutton, this production should hold some currency.
The production doesn’t necessarily translate right away. The exciting thing here is that Proche doesn’t need to shine right away. He was a sixth round pick. Making the team and giving Baltimore any value at all is a win in his rookie season. While the Ravens will want more immediate results from Devin Duvernay, seeing as he is a third round pick, Proche just has to not screw up. He has to catch the ball when it’s thrown to him and compete for a job or two on special teams. The play-making trait is surely something Proche has though, and it won’t just go away because he’s playing at a higher level of competition.