One of the biggest questions about the Baltimore Ravens is their wide receiver room. Some wonder if Zay Flowers is a true No. 1 even after a stellar season. Whether they have any consistent WR threats alongside him is another more difficult question.
Despite these concerns, former Ravens (and more notably, Carolina Panthers) wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. made it clear that he believes in the Ravens' WR core during a recent episode of his podcast "89."
"Zay Flowers particularly, he is the alpha. He is the number one wide receiver. But you gotta have a little bit creativity and not have all of that clutter and having everything be predictable and confusing in the hashes. You got to get them outside of the hashes. And when you look at this wide receiver group, they have to play outside of the hashes because these are guys who excel. The Baltimore Ravens said, "Hey, we're gonna figure it out, and we're gonna make sure that we cross all of our T's and dot our I's, and let's get a more proper level of different wide receivers. Let's get the big guys. Let's get the slow guys, let's get the tall guys, let's get the little jitterbugs. Let's get every variation that we need to be able to attack multiple levels," Smith said.
#RavensFlock I am LOVING what the WR Room is looking like heading into the season. Now let’s move Zay around to truly unlock his potential as a certified #1 WR pic.twitter.com/HmFWd1hV1e
— Steve Smith Sr. (@SteveSmithSr89) July 17, 2026
Smith's words shouldn't be taken as gospel, of course, but the two-time All-Pro receiver knows a thing or two about the position. Maybe I'm biased, but I wholeheartedly agree with Smith here.
The Baltimore Ravens have a WR core that complements Zay Flowers
After a stellar season, where he recorded 1,211 yards, Flowers proved himself as a more than capable No. 1 WR. What this means to me is that you can win at the highest level with him as your No. 1 receiver option. Say what you will about Flowers, but there should be no debating this after last season.
Still, it was clear the Ravens needed to surround him with some bigger-bodied receivers; Flowers is just 5-foot-9, 183 pounds. By drafting Ja'Kobi Lane in the third-round, and Elijah Sarratt in the fourth-round the Ravens filled this need.
The advantages that Lane and Sarratt can provide, particularly in the red zone, are significant. Notably, the Ravens ranked just 27th in red zone scoring rate.
By unleashing Devontez Walker, the Ravens can have a speedy deep threat with adequate size alongside Flowers. Plus, there's the possibility of a bounce-back year for Rashod Bateman, who could provide a similar seamless fit next to Flowers. Now, Lamar Jackson has a variety of different pass-catchers to target.
The Ravens have several receivers whose skill sets complement Flowers, which could help him level up. And to Smith's point, this should make Baltimore's offense far less predictable. Furthermore, the seamless fit of these players alongside Flowers makes up for their lack of proven production.
Listen, I understand these aren't household names, but it's crucial to note they have the skill sets to fit what the Ravens need. It wouldn't be far-fetched if one of the rookies proved to be an immediate contributor; Sarratt just led the FBS in touchdowns last season.
Banking on this and internal growth from players like Walker is a reasonable proposition. Frankly, it was a crime that Walker didn't get a bigger role last season; he recorded 136 receiving yards and three touchdowns in just eight targets last season.
It's also fair to suggest that wunderkind offensive coordinator Declan Doyle can get the most out of this unproven group.
Right now, things might seem dicey, but once the season gets going, the Ravens' receiving core could suddenly look stacked, and the idea of finding players who fit around Flowers is at the center of this group's upside, as Smith noted.
Add us as a preferred source on Google