Ravens meeting with NFL Combine star after record-setting day is encouraging

Due to the Baltimore Ravens' ceaseless quest to find improved wide receiver talent around MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, many expected the AFC runner-up to target skill position help with the No. 30 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Texas' Xavier Worthy is on everyone's mind after setting a Combine record.

While Worthy and fellow Longhorns receiver Adonai Mitchell entered the Combine as fringe first-round players, it now seems unlikely both of them will be able to escape the first 32 picks. Worthy's blazing 4.21 40-yard dash was as big a boost to his draft status as one could possibly pick up at the Combine.

While Baltimore might need to find a new left tackle and secondary piece due to the possible departures of Ronnie Stanley and Geno Stone, it might be too difficult for the Ravens to pass on Worthy if he's available. Baltimore is certainly doing their due diligence on the diminutive speedster.

The Ravens will use one of their limited Top 30 visits to bring Worthy into the fold, showing he is very much in play for them at No. 30 overall. The Ravens need more wide receiver help, and Worthy's unprecedented speed would give them an instant shot in the arm.

Baltimore Ravens could draft Xavier Worthy after Top 30 visit

Pessimists immediately drew a comparison to former Bengals receiver John Ross, who went ninth overall after running a 4.22 40-yard dash and didn't even reach 1,000 career receiving yards due to poor route-running and an inability to bear press coverage. Worthy is a different beast, even if his skinny frame is a legitimate worry.

Worthy was a consistent star for the Longhorns, recording 981 yards as a freshman and 1,014 as a junior. Worthy has better ball-carrier vision after the catch than Ross ever had in addition to soft hands and some crisp route-running. Worthy is a serious deep threat irrespective of his record-breaking time.

The Ravens would be the skinniest team in the league at wide receiver, as they shouldn't expect either Worthy or Zay Flowers to win any bodybuilding contests in the near future. This pick would be a gamble on speed over size, which has often worked out in the modern NFL.

With Jackson continuing to play at an MVP level, Baltimore needs to keep supplementing him at every turn. This could include getting a player like Worthy to run wild against defensive backs who can't keep up with his explosion.