The Baltimore Ravens made the decision to officially release wide receiver Miles Boykin on Monday, thus ending his disappointing three-year tenure in Baltimore.
Boykin’s release sheds light on what has been a wholly underwhelming 2019 NFL Draft class for the Ravens. With Boykin now gone, only five players remain from the initial eight-man class.
Of those eight players, only one is guaranteed a roster spot as we approach the 2022 season, that being wide receiver Marquise Brown. As for the others, Jaylon Ferguson, Justice Hill, Ben Powers, and Iman Marshall, it’s hard to see any of them making a serious impact this season.
Boykin’s release puts everything with that class into perspective. The Ravens swung and missed.
Miles Boykin is another failed member of the 2019 NFL Draft class
Brown is the only successful member of that draft class, and even he isn’t exactly a home-run pick. The former Oklahoma standout was drafted over future stars like Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, DK Metcalf, Diontae Johnson, and Terry McLaurin who were all selected after him.
The 2019 draft class has proven to be one of the best wide receiver classes in recent memory. It’s not that Brown has been bad, but he’s probably fallen a little short of expectations to this point. Still, he’s easily the most successful player from that Ravens draft class.
Ferguson has been a dud in the NFL. After breaking Terrell Suggs’ college sack record at Louisiana Tech, many hoped that Ferguson could follow a similar career path to the former Ravens.
Unfortunately, he finds himself fighting for a roster spot this summer and is far from a guarantee to make the team. The same is true for guys like Justice Hill, Ben Powers, and Iman Marshall.
Hill has never been able to establish himself as more than a special teamer. Powers has at least played a decent amount, although he’s been little more than a replacement-level player. As for Marshall, he’s played just three games in three years as injuries have derailed his career.
Those players are all that remains of the Ravens’ 2019 draft class. Boykin is now gone. Daylon Mack didn’t make it past his rookie season. Trace McSorley was signed off the Ravens’ practice squad last year.
The Miles Boykin release is another reminder of just how disappointing that draft class was for the Ravens. Fortunately, that 2018 class is enough to make up for the team’s shortcomings the following year.