2021 NFL Draft: DeVonta Smith feels like perfect fit for Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens should make DeVonta Smith a priority in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Baltimore Ravens sit at 6-2 on the year, with their only two losses coming to the 8-0 Pittsburgh Steelers and 8-1 defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Ravens are undoubtedly a good football team that is a threat to make a deep run through the postseason. That being said, they do not seem to be quite as dominant of a team as they were last season.

Through their first eight games, Baltimore has put up solid offensive production, scoring 28.4 points per game (the eighth-most in the entire NFL). However, that is a step back from their league-leading 33.2 points per game last season. While they have been able to put some points on the board, the Baltimore Ravens have not had an efficient offense, ranking 23rd in the league in offensive DVOA.

Simply put, this offense has taken a step back this season and the advanced stats show that they should be struggling to score as much as they are. If they do not improve their offensive efficiency, their luck will likely run out and lower point totals will follow.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson leads the way for Baltimore and is obviously a major part of their dynamic rushing attack. Jackson is an elite rushing quarterback and is underrated as a passer, but this team has not done a great job of finding him impact weapons in the passing game. Marquise Brown is an exciting deep threat and Mark Andrews is a fantastic red-zone weapon, but they lack a reliable number one target in their passing attack.

The Ravens should attack this need early in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 2021 NFL Draft class is absolutely loaded at the wide receiver position and while Baltimore is unlikely to be picking early, they will have an opportunity to snag an impact receiver.

The perfect offensive addition

In particular, Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith feels like a great fit for this team. The Ravens have built their offense around their rushing attack and deep passing game. While this has led to some success, they currently lack receivers who can make an impact in the short to intermediate range. Smith can make plays as a deep receiver, but he is more of a possession receiver who is going to do most of his damage as a reliable intermediate target.

Smith is a tremendous route-runner who does a fantastic job of simply finding space in the defense. He can shake man coverage with ease and always seems to sit in the soft spots of the zone. Smith is a quick and explosive runner who is also an impact player with the ball in his hands. Smith can take a short pass and take it to the house from nearly anywhere on the field.

The Baltimore Ravens currently lack a guy who can find a way to get open against any coverage on a consistent basis. On key third downs, they could certainly use a guy like Smith who will simply get open and make a play for their quarterback.

There are other impact receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft class who could make plenty of sense for the Ravens, but Smith is the one who stands out as a particularly perfect fit. It may require a trade-up, but Smith should undoubtedly be on Baltimore’s radar next April.