When the Baltimore Ravens signed veteran Odell Beckham Jr., they knew what they were doing. It was all part of the plan.
Beckham would be a Raven, darn well knowing that Lamar Jackson would be under center for the coming season, and then some. This wasn't an organization going after a big name trying to sell tickets or make headlines.
No, the Ravens had a plan, and they were also gambling a little bit. But, it was a healthy gamble, pun intended.
Beckham hasn't played meaningful football in about a year and three months, so his first time back on the field in a regular season game will make it over a year and a half. But, the Ravens are hoping that the best is yet to come for the electric wide receiver.
If Odell Beckham Jr. is healthy for the 2023 season, what can the Baltimore Ravens expect out of him?
Before we get into some projections, let's first establish the fact that new offensive coordinator Todd Monken is going to allow Jackson to throw the ball a whole lot more than he has over the past couple of seasons.
Just yesterday, Jackson acknowledged that fact, saying that this new offense is going to feature less running from him, and more throwing. Knowing that there will be more passing attempts from Jackson, and Beckham will absolutely be the number one target, here's what we could reasonably expect out of him for the 2023 season:
138 targets
81 receptions
1,228 yards
9 receiving touchdowns
The yardage comes out to just over 72 per game, which seems light for a player like Beckham. However, this should be a reasonable expectation. He could certainly surpass this, but Ravens fans should be happy with a line like this.
As for the touchdowns, it would be nice to see a Ravens wide receiver go for double digits, and that's also very possible. This rate puts Beckham at a touchdown every other game, but he could be good for some of those "boom" games where he goes for multiple. We just need to see that he's right, health-wise.
The other factors, here, are that the Ravens have another exciting playmaker in rookie Zay Flowers, along with a healthy Rashod Bateman, and they'll get their fair share of touches as well. And, let's not forget about the tight end group. Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are worthy targets as well.
But, if Beckham ends up leading the group, the above projections are not just reasonable, but something Ravens fans would be happy to see unfold.