Ebony Bird
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Ravens Roster Analysis: Strengths and weaknesses at wide receiver

By Chris Schisler

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Miles Boykin #80 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Miles Boykin #80 of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens
Wide receiver Marquise Brown #15 of the Baltimore Ravens (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Ravens receiver strengths:

Reliable hands and body control: The Ravens have done a good job of bringing players who can catch the ball. Devin Duvernay and James Proche come into the league as players with a reputation for trustworthy hands. Snead will drop a pass here or there, but has good hands. Marquise Brown’s most underrated trait is how good he is at bringing the football in. He’s not just good at catching it when he’s wide open. He can go up and get the football. He can catch in traffic and he can get his feet down in bounds when he is pressed for space. Brown is thought of as a speedster but he’s a complete football player, not a track star.

James Proche was a great receiver at SMU and he made the contested catch routine. He’s undersized yet he’s such a good athlete in the air and his concentration and effort are boosts for him. Duvernay was a very tough receiver at Texas and his hands are best classified as elite. Snead is really good at the craft of getting open and making himself available for Lamar Jackson. The Ravens don’t have a lot of size but they don’t have guys who are just athletes, they have football players.

Speed and quickness:  

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Hollywood Brown has amazing speed. While Brown, Boykin and Duvernay all the three fastest players of the receiving corps, none of the Ravens receivers have a speed problem. Proche and Snead are quicker than they are fast. When Proche becomes as trained at the NFL level as Snead, he’s got a great chance to outdo sixth round expectations. Duvernay and Brown get so much out of each stride. Their acceleration and ability to change directions fast is a big deal.

Big play potential 

Brown is a player who can score a 50 yard touchdown on a deep pass or a quick slant. He’s a big play waiting to happen. Boykin has a huge frame and good speed. With Boykin it’s not a matter of if he can do it. He has the ability, he needs to hone his craft and do it. Duvernay is almost like a running back when he has the ball and his speed is going to be a problem for many nickel cornerbacks over the course of his career. There is a ton of big play potential here and we’ll have to see how much the Ravens can cash in on this.

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