Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman is the No. 1 Wide Receiver, Can He Live Up to That Title?

Rashod Bateman is now positioned to be the top wide receiver on the depth chart in Baltimore. Is he ready to take the leap?

Rashod Bateman was born and raised in Georgia, and attended Tifton High School, serving as a member of the football team each year. Bateman was a bit of a late bloomer, but he caught the eye of Minnesota as a junior. This resulted in his commitment to the school. Even after dominating the competition as a senior and earning loads of interest from more prestigious schools, Bateman stuck to his word and would become a Gopher.

With Minnesota, Bateman started immediately. As a true freshman, he recorded 51 receptions and 704 receiving yards with six touchdowns across 13 games. As a sophomore, he built upon that success, setting career-highs in receptions (60), yards (1219), and touchdowns (11). The following year happened to be the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Bateman opted out of the season, but later changed his mind and appeared in five games. He caught 7 passes a game and just under 100 yards a game. He decided to forego his senior season of eligibility, declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Bateman was taken No. 27 overall by the Baltimore Ravens, becoming the first Minnesota player to go inside the first round in 15 years. He entered a run-first offense with the hopes of being the immediate No. 2 wide receiver opposite Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. Unfortunately for Bateman, he hit some unexpected roadblocks during his rookie season.

Bateman opened the season on the Injured Reserve after suffering a groin injury that required surgery. This set the rookie back and forced him to miss the team’s first five games of the season. He returned to the field to make his debut in week six versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Bateman started his career with six straight games with three receptions or more. As you all know, quarterback Lamar Jackson was lost for the season following an injury he suffered in week 14 against the Cleveland Browns.

Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman is the Top Wide Receiver on the Depth Chart Entering 2022

Through no fault of his own, Bateman had a turbulent rest of the season. His best performance in year one, ironically, came in that week 14 game versus the Browns, as he eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the first time as a pro. All in all, I think it’s fair to say that it was a roller coaster of sorts for the former Minnesota wide receiver. A shocking trade during the 2022 NFL Draft really shook things up for the wide receiver corps in Baltimore.

The franchise traded away their top receiver, and one of Lamar Jackson’s best friends, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. In exchange for the Cardinals’ first-round selection, the speedy wide receiver was sent to Arizona, leaving a whopping 146 targets to replace. Don’t expect Bateman to step in and break the NFL record for targets in a season, but do expect him to potentially double the 68 targets that he posted in 2021. If that happens, it’s hard to fathom what that could mean for Bateman’s potential stat line.

As great as Lamar Jackson is at playing football, he’s not always the best at throwing outside the numbers. A lot of the reason for Hollywood Brown’s success in their offense was due to his ability to line up anywhere and do a lot of work after the catch. This is something that did not suit Brown and was the leading reason that he requested a trade.

Bateman likely won’t spend time in the slot much, but he is great at getting open on the outside and is borderline elite at coming down with contested catches. These traits will help Jackson exercise his demons as a deep ball thrower. Don’t get me wrong, Bateman is not going to catch many bombs, but given his ability to routinely come down with the ball, Jackson will be more prone to taking shots downfield. This evolution in the offense could be the catalyst for the team to return to the postseason in 2022.

Bateman needs to continue adding to his route tree, and it wouldn’t hurt to mix in a few more releases off the line of scrimmage. He will regularly matchup with the top cornerback for each opponent, so he must sharpen his skills to take the leap in development that the Ravens are banking on. The tight ends and run game will always be the focal point of a Lamar Jackson-led offense, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bateman elevate Jackson to another level as a passer. Having someone as talented as Bateman makes life easier for any quarterback.