After finishing 2020 last in passing yards and attempts, the Ravens have made several moves during the offseason to improve their receiving corps.
One such move was drafting Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman at No. 27 overall. He recorded 147 catches for 2,395 yards with 19 touchdowns in college, becoming the first Minnesota player to get selected in the first round since 2006.
According to head coach John Harbaugh, Bateman’s started his Ravens tenure off well at rookie minicamp.
“Impressions are very positive,” Harbaugh said during his Saturday press conference. “He’s a no-nonsense guy, has a nice demeanor about him. He’s a quick learner. He’s everything we thought he would be in terms of the athleticism, the skillset. That’s usually the case, but not always the case. What you see is not always what you get. You don’t know until you get them out there, in really the first rookie minicamp. And I would say that he is as advertised from a talent standpoint.”
The Ravens had the league’s best ground attack last year, which made them an explosive offense. But they’ll need Bateman, Marquise Brown, and Sammy Watkins to all be strong targets for quarterback Lamar Jackson to improve their ranking in the pass game.