The Baltimore Ravens have officially entered mandatory minicamp. The program runs from June 9 to June 11, and it’s the latest opportunity for players to get on the field and earn their coaches’ trust.
For the rookies on the roster, every day is critical. Sure, guys like Vega Ioane and Zion Young have had no problems impressing early, but others, specifically the undrafted free agents, are facing a tough reality. As we continue to move through the offseason, their backs are against the wall.
For Octavian Smith Jr., he might be in the toughest situation of all. The Burtonsville, Md. native was a fine contributor at Maryland, eventually signing as an undrafted free agent for $7,500 in guarantees. The hometown wideout is a fun story, alas, he has the odds stacked against him. There’s very little chance that he breaks preseason with the team.
Baltimore Ravens don’t have much room on roster for local product
Anytime there’s a local product on the team, there’s going to be a lot of fans rooting for him to make the roster. Unfortunately, for Octavian Smith Jr., there’s a mountain for him to climb in order to accomplish that. And that mountain might as well be Mount Everest.
The Ravens’ wide receiver group may not be loaded with high-end talent. It appears to be a bit lackluster in that regard right now. However, that’s not to say it’s not a very deep position group. There’s probably going to be eight or nine names being considered before they even get to Smith.
Looking at the state of the wide receiver room, the group on the 53-man roster might already be set. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are sure-fire starters. Then, young weapons Devontez Walker, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Elijah Sarratt are fighting for the WR3 role. Finally, LaJohntay Wester will likely be the return man and sixth and final player in that room.
After those top six, there’s an intriguing trio that already has experience in Charm City. Cornelius Johnson is a wideout who made the practice squad last year, Dayton Wade has impressed in the past two years with the Ravens, and Xavier Guillory caught some buzz over the course of last offseason. All three are back for another year, and certainly have the edge on Smith.
Not only does Smith have a challenging path to the 53-man roster, but there also might not even be room for him on the practice squad. There’s that much talent in front of him, and his best shot will likely come as a return man. Even there, though, he could find himself behind the likes of Wester, Sarratt, and Wade. Clearly, he’s going to have to blow coaches away this summer.
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