Ravens potential plug-and-play prospects: Wide receivers

Possible targets for the Ravens in the 2024 NFL Draft who could come in and contribute to the passing attack right away as rookies.

Aside from first-round wide receiver Zay Flowers, who quickly established himself as a starter and broke multiple franchise records during a standout rookie campaign, the Baltimore Ravens 2023 rookie class mostly consisted of developmental prospects who are now primed to be in line or compete for starting positions.

With all the notable losses they’ve suffered through free agency as several key cogs from last year’s team have signed elsewhere, their 2024 draft class won’t be afforded the same luxury. This year’s incoming crop of first-year players will be expected to contribute as a starter or in a vital role as a heavy rotational piece.

With the sizable contracts they are currently paying, the most notable being two-time MVP-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson and All-Pro defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, the Ravens need to target prospects who they can plug in and play right away at positions of need because they will be more reliant on younger talent than ever before.

The third position group to be broken down in this short article series is one always of high interest among the Ravens fan base: wide receiver. The Ravens re-signed nine-year veteran Nelson Agholor who was a solid role player last year and are returning Flowers and 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman who could be heading into the final year of his rookie deal depending on what the team decides to exercise his fifth-year option. However, three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. is unlikely to to return after saying his farewells to the fans on social media and two-time Pro Bowler Devin Duvernay signed with Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Here are potential plug-and-play prospects at the very deep position group whom Ravens’ general manager Eric DeCosta could target and get immediate contributions from.

---

Adonai Mitchell, Texas

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

The former Longhorn fits a common theme among most of the prospects who will be featured in this article. He is a big-bodied pass catcher who can work inside and out but is especially dominant on the perimeter. Mitchell is coming off a 2023 season in which he recorded career highs with 55 receptions, 845 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, with an average of 15.4 yards per catch. Before transferring to Texas and had the best statistical season of his career last year, he spent the previous two winning back-to-back NCAA Division FBS national championships at Georgia with Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken in a limited yet impactful role in the Bulldogs offense, especially during the postseason.

At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, Mitchell is the total package when it comes to how he adds a playmaking presence to an offense. He can make big plays all over the field, including over the middle, on the boundary and deep. Mitchell showcased his blazing vertical speed at the NFL Scouting Combine when he ran a 4.34-second in the 40-yard dash, which is arguably just as impressive as the record-breaking 4.21-second sprint fellow Longhorn Xavier Worthy ran, given the near 40-pound weight difference.

If Mitchell somehow slips past the wide receiver-needy Buffalo Bills at No. 28 overall in the first round, he’d be a tremendous value at No. 30 for the Ravens

Keon Coleman, Florida State

Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

The former Seminole is one of the most polarizing prospects at the position in this year’s loaded draft class despite being one of his most gifted and electric. His lack of blazing vertical speed, ability to consistently separate and the 4.61-second 40-yard dash he ran at the combine will likely push him out of first-round consideration for most teams. But, his elevated game speed he showed in the gauntlet drill at the Combine, contested catch ability and play-making prowess with the ball in his hands after the catch will make him a Day 2 steal.

Coleman is coming off a second straight standout season in 2023 after he transferred from Michigan State and led the Seminoles with 50 catches for 658 receiving yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns.

At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Coleman is built and plays like the prototypical “X” receiver Ravens fans have been clamoring for and their offenses have been missing since they traded away Anquan Boldin following the second Super Bowl run in franchise history. Much like the future Hall of Famer, Coleman does his best work when the ball is up for grabs. He has more juice in space than most receivers of his size, so much so his coaches used him as a punt returner last year and he added 300 more yards to his all-purpose total with an average of 12.4 yards per return.

While some pundits might view using a first-round pick, even one as low as No. 30 overall in Coleman as a bit of a reach, there is next-to-no chance the Ravens have a chance at him in the bottom of the second at their current No. 62 pick. DeCosta could opt to trade out of the first round entirely and take him in the early to mid-second while recouping additional draft capital to address the team’s other needs.

Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA TODAY NETWORK

The former Bulldog isn’t exactly big-bodied at 6-foot and 186 pounds. He isn’t small either, but he is a dangerous weapon all the same. While most route-running technicians at the receiver position of his complexion are often automatically labeled as slot-only types, McConkey is a do-it-all type, capable of making big plays and coming up with crucial catches lined up inside or out wide. He spent his entire career at Georgia, including being teammates with Mitchell under Monken when the Bulldogs won consecutive titles from 2021-22.

McConkey is an explosive athlete capable of playing bigger than his size suggests by how he can go up for and come down with contested catches. He can be electric with the ball in his hands, showcasing both elusiveness in the open field to make defenders miss and 4.39-second breakaway speed to run away from them or take the top off the defense in vertical routes.

While he never put up prolific numbers as a catcher and dealt with the occasional minor injury, McConkey’s tape tells the tale of a dynamic weapon whose game can translate well at the next level. Some pundits believe his skillset is a little too similar to Flowers, but what makes them both so dynamic is how they can play bigger than they are, threaten every level of the defense and are reliable security blankets with knacks for finding the soft spot in zones. Surrounding Jackson with more weapons who can do a lot of everything at a high level will never be a bad route to go with.

Ricky Pearsall, Florida

Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images

The former Gator’s profile closely mirrors McConkey’s and it’s not just because they are both Caucasian. Pearsall can all do it all as well, ranging from being a technically sound route runner to being an explosive playmaker with the ball in his hands after the catch. He is also taller and heavier at 6-foot-1 and 189 pounds, but can play above the rim and go up for and haul in contested catches. Pearsall also has great hands and a knack for making impressive catches with one or both of his 9.25-inch mitts, including arguably the best catch in all of college football last year which was made even more legendary by how he absorbed being sandwiched between multiple defenders and still held onto the first-down catch.

Pearsall began his collegiate career at Arizona State before transferring and becoming the Gators’ leading receiver over the past two seasons. He saved the best for last as he set career highs with 65 receptions, 965 receiving yards and recorded six touchdowns from scrimmage for a second straight season. Pearsall can stretch the field vertically with speed and crisp route running, making him a threat to take a screen or seam the distance for a score.

There’s a solid chance Pearsall could still be on the board when the Ravens come on the clock on Day 2 at No. 62 overall. Some pundits who love his game and potential have been as bold as to mock him to come off the board in the late first round, ahead of other fringe first-rounders such as McConkey, Coleman and the next prospect on the list.

Xavier Legette, South Carolina

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

The former Gamecock was primarily used as a return specialist for some reason for his first four seasons in college despite being built like the second coming of A.J. Brown. In his breakout fifth-year senior season, Legette’s role expanded and he dominated on the outside, putting up monster numbers with 71 catches, 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns. He emerged as a deep-ball and contested catch merchant whose years of returning kicks manifested themselves in an explosive run after the catch ability.

While Legette has drawn a lot of comparisons to D.K. Metcalf, at 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds with his playing style, he is a carbon copy of Brown, who went in the second round back in 2019 and has since gone on to become a three-time Pro Bowler. His body control on the boundary, presence as a threat in the red zone and ferocity as a run blocker make him a great fit for the type of role the Ravens are looking to add at the position. There’s a chance he might still fall in their laps on Day 2, where he could prove to be just as big of a steal as the pro players he is constantly compared.

Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

The former Huskie is one of the most well-rounded receivers in this entire class and another prospect at the position who does his best work lined up on the outside. Polk is coming off a career year where he was the second-leading receiver for the national title runner-ups behind projected top-10 pick Rome Odunze. In 15 games, he recorded career highs with 69 catches, 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns, with an average of 16.8 yards per catch.

Even though he is 6-foot-1 and just over 200 pounds, he plays on the boundary with the same commanding presence of a pass catcher four inches and 20-30 pounds heavier. He specializes in making contested catches, tracks the ball well down the field and runs crisp well-paced routes. Polk has also begun to garner some late first to early second-round buzz but if he is still on the board for the Ravens at No. 62 overall, the value he presents might be too good to pass up.

Javon Baker, UCF

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

The former Knight brings a great blend of size, speed and explosive play-making ability to the table and has all the makings of a natural “X” receiver. Baker is coming off the best season of his career in which he led the team in receiving yards for the second year in a row, recording a career-high 1,159 yards on 52 receptions. He also caught seven touchdowns and averaged the second-most yards per catch in the country with 21.9 yards. Baker has strong hands and displays excellent body control and even though he ran a 4.51-seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, his tape showed another gear where he can pull away from defenders and eliminate angles once he gets in the open field.

In most years, Baker might be a fringe late first to early second round option, but given the wealth of talent at the position in this year’s class, there is a more than solid chance the Ravens could wait until the third round to take him. Although, if they elected to not risk him getting poached before they are on the clock at No. 93 overall, DeCosta might consider pulling the trigger a round earlier at No. 62 and it wouldn’t really be viewed as a reach given the role he’d play and the potential impact he could have right away.