The Baltimore Ravens have to walk away from the 2023 NFL draft with some help at wide receiver. The question is when. They have not had as much success in round one, and they may want to trade down. If they trade down, they could pick any time on day two, but if they pass on wide-out round one, they have to wait until late round three.
Who are some wide receivers that could go anywhere from round two to three in most cases?
5. Xavier Hutchinson is a reliable option for Baltimore Ravens
It took Xavier Hutchinson a year or so to get onto the field, but once he got going he took off for the Cyclones. He was their leading receiver the past two years and essentially was their offense in 2021. Xavier Hutchinson did not play in the slot in college too much, but that is his best projection.
As a physical ball-winner, he is not quite strong enough to beat NFL cornerbacks. He is a solid route runner, but will struggle with press and is not going to burn cornerbacks or create separation down the field.
Hutchinson wins with five to ten yards of the line of scrimmage. He wins because he is a savvy route runner who has a good start, and stop capabilities. He is not a dominant athlete who creates separation, but he does have enough wiggle in the open field to not only get open but then create after the catch.
We compared Xavier Hutchinson favorable to Tyler Boyd, and while Hutchinson is a projection in the slot, the skill sets are nearly identical.
4. Rashee Rice could be a draft target for Baltimore Ravens
Rashee Rice blew up in 2022, and became the all-time leading receiver in a single season for SMU, passing Emmanuel Sanders. The year put him on the map and took him from a potential day-three pick to a firm lock for the second day of the NFL draft.
Rashee Rice also performed well at the Senior Bowl, and at the NFL Combine, and his stock is on the rise. We compared him to Brandon Aiyuk because he is a long-limbed athlete who works best with the ball in his hands.
Rice still has work to do with his route tree, but his thick size, and quick feet, combined with his long arms allow him to create space in the middle areas of the field, similar to Aiyuk. The Ravens would love to add a receiver who can work with the ball in his hands, and he certainly is not the small wideout like Hollywood Brown, James Prohce, and Devin Duvernay from recent years.
The question with Rice is how his stock went up. Is he a second-rounder now, or can the Baltimore Ravens consider him in round three?
3. Is A.T. Perry a sleeper for Baltimore Ravens
A.T. Perry was highly productive for Wake Forest over the past two seasons, producing over 1,100 yards in back-to-back years. It is fair to say that it took him until he was a redshirt Junior and Senior before he really took off, but when he did, he showed a pretty sound overall profile.
First, A.T. Perry is tall, at nearly 6'4". He can win in the air, and he does a great job extending his arms away from his body, extending his huge catch radius. Perry also showed to be a pretty good athlete. For how big he is, he can move well and sink his hips.
AT Perry's footwork at 6'4" is kind of insane pic.twitter.com/7TnQCZ68Ek
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) March 29, 2023
The Wake Forest offense did not ask him to run a full route tree, but you can see in his ability to set up routes and move his body fluidly that he probably has some untapped upside in his profile. A.T. Perry also could stand to put on some muscle, as it would help him win with strength, and haul in passes against combative cornerbacks.
Still, he brings size, and that wide catch radius is something that Baltimore lacked throughout the entire Lamar Jackson era. The Baltimore Ravens pick is 86th overall. Projections currently have A.T. Perry going around the 90th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Does that set up perfectly for the Ravens to add some size to the receiver room with A.T. Perry?
2. Baltimore Ravens should have interest in Jayden Reed
If Jayden Reed came out in 2022, he may have gone a round or two higher. Reed excelled as a freshman at Western Michigan and transferred to MSU. He sat out in 2019 and started to excel in 2020. Then, the breakout came in 2021.
However, he went back to Michigan State for his last year of eligibility, and things did not go his way. His health caused a bit of the drop-off, but more than that the offense around him fell apart.
If you followed Michigan State, you may be wanting to give Reed a free pass for the bad year. Fortunately for Reed, he had an excellent Senior Bowl and followed it up with a solid NFL Combine.
Jayden Reed is a great bet in the NFL because he can play all three wide receiver spots. He can play the X, and Z on the outside, but also has no issue sliding into the slot. Beyond that, Jayden Reed can return punts, which locks him onto the field.
Jayden Reed produced early on, brings versatility, and can win in all areas of the field. He is currently projected to go around pic 100, but the Baltimore Ravens should consider him their 86th pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
1. Is Marvin Mims the best WR in the 2023 Draft for the Baltimore Ravens?
Marvin Mims would be a great fit for the Baltimore Ravens. All of these other wide receivers were seniors, but Marvin Mims is at least one full year younger than all of them, coming out as a true junior. He saw his head coach and quarterback leave for USC after his sophomore season, and then produced even more in a worse environment.
Marvin Mims is a great athlete with the ball in his hands, but more than that, he is a deep ball specialist. He sets up routes well and can get open down the field. His ball tracking is excellent as well.
Marvin Mims can also return kicks and punts, which gives him a solid role in the NFL. One of the better physical and stylistic comparisons for Marvin Mims would be John Brown. They are both downfield threats who rely on their ball tracking but have sound games in other areas.
Ravens fans would love to have a younger, and healthier John Brown in the mix, and they can get that with Marvin Mims. He is currently going around the 76th pick in mock drafts. If he can fall a little bit further, he would be an easy draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in round three.