While his rookie season was somewhat quiet, year two for Miles Boykin could be a significantly better and more important season for the 23-year old.
The Baltimore Ravens spent a third-round draft choice on Notre Dame wide receiver Miles Boykin last season. Boykin was relatively quiet as a rookie, ranking fourth on the depth chart behind fellow 2019 draft choice Marquise Brown and veterans Willie Snead and Seth Roberts. Since then Roberts was let go this offseason, leaving Boykin with an opportunity to snag the spot as the Ravens no.3 receiver on the depth chart.
The only issue facing Boykin entering year two is that Baltimore used two draft picks in 2020 on wider receivers Devin Duvernay and James Proche. If Boykin wants to see significant playing time, he’ll need to show out early.
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Luckily for Miles Boykin, he already has a leg up on his competition given he has a full season in this offense under his belt. Miles Boykin also has one very important quality over these guys: size.
At 6’4″ 220-lbs., Boykin is far and away the biggest receiver on the team not named Jaleel Scott, who is far from a lock to make the final 53-man roster. The size advantage Boykin has over the rest of his competition is huge (pun intended). Boykin will get some reps in the red-zone and be a jump-ball option for Lamar Jackson to throw it up to.
There’s another aspect that Boykin could have going for him: the tight end position.
Yes, Miles Boykin is significantly undersized for the position at just 220-lbs., but we’ve seen quite a few undersized tight ends in the NFL recently find some success. New York Giants Evan Engram is the most notable example of this at 6’3″ 240-lbs. If Boykin could add some bulk to his frame, he and Engram would be very comparable to one another.
Obviously this isn’t something we’ve even remotely heard as a possibility, but we could see some traction if young guys like Duvernay develop larger roles. Honestly, it could be Boykin’s best chance to get significant playing time.
Regardless, Miles Boykin could still be a very important piece of the Ravens offensive puzzle. His size separates him from the pack and he has underrated hands that could make him a favorite target of Jackson’s. There’s reason to be excited for Boykin in year two.
Keep your expectations low for Miles Boykin, as he’s in a crowded wide receiver room. With that being said, this is a terrific offense that should put up points aplenty. I’ll keep the stats modest, but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Boykin put up 500+ receiving yards and five-or-more touchdown receptions.
Miles Boykin 2020 projected stats: 20 receptions, 300-yards, two touchdowns