The Baltimore Ravens missed the playoffs in 2013. For most teams, this would be bad news, but for a franchise that hadn’t recorded an absence from the postseason since 2007, it was especially hard to take.
There are many things to point to as reasons for the down year, but lack of production on offense in general is the main culprit. A lot of the blame has been heaped on quarterback Joe Flacco, and he certainly didn’t earn the paycheck he received, but a lack of weapons around him didn’t help.
The running game could never get going, ranking 30th in the league, which forced a reliance on a passing game missing its best tight end and was short on receivers. Opponents were able to game plan accordingly and an 8-8 season was the result.
The 2014 NFL Draft seems destined to deliver a new wide receiver to the Ravens. Torrey Smith has proven to be a top-tier player and a big part of their offense, but teams can focus on stopping him and make somebody else beat them, which didn’t happen often enough this season.
What the team, and Flacco, needs is a running mate for Smith outside. Even the league’s best receivers need somebody to take attention off of them to prevent double and triple teams, and if the Ravens and their embattled quarterback want to get back to the playoffs next year, adding a receiver seems like a step that must be taken. The question is, in a deep receiver class, who is the right player to take?
The projected order in which receivers will go is ever evolving, and there’s no real consensus on how they’ll fall. Should the Ravens decide to take one right away, there are some great options in the first round.
Mike Evans: Evans is linked to Baltimore in seemingly every other mock draft. With good size and speed, as well as an innate ability to get open, he certainly would give Flacco an impressive second option. At 6’5” he also is a matchup problem that any quarterback would love to have.
Davante Adams: Pairing a playmaker like Adams with the aforementioned Smith would seem to be unfair. Combining good size with an incredible ability to make great plays, he would give the Ravens a devastating pair of big play guys outside.
Marqise Lee: Lee’s stock has fallen a bit from a year ago, when he was the country’s darling. Injuries, quarterback play, and inconsistent hands have hurt him, but with the ball in his hands, few are better. He would bring a ton of excitement to Baltimore.
Another option for the Ravens is to address the offensive line in the first round and wait until the second round to take a receiver. In a really good receiver class, the talent on day two would be top notch.
Allen Robinson: Robinson is a physical possession receiver who would be a solid option for Flacco in goalline and third down situations. He would take advantage of almost always seeing single coverage, and could be a steal.
Brandin Cooks: There are few players more exciting than Cooks. Though not a big receiver, coming in at just 5’10”, he more than makes up for it with his explosiveness. He has first round talent, and would add even more speed alongside Smith.
All of these would be fantastic additions to the Ravens offense, and Flacco would benefit from any one of them. However, the best fit might just be a guy who only had just 34 catches this season.
Brandon Coleman had people expecting big things after 2012, but an offseason knee injury and inconsistent quarterback play hampered his year.
At 6’6” and 220 lbs, he’s huge, but he has displayed a knack for making big plays down the field as well. Though there are questions about his top-end speed and his hands, he has shown enough raw talent to prove he can play in the NFL.
He’ll likely fall to the second round, and possibly into the third, but he could be the steal of the draft. He would give Flacco a massive target in the redzone, and one who knows what to do in the endzone. He also creates mismatches no matter how teams try to cover him. Coleman might not be as polished as Evans, or as explosive as Lee, but he would look very good in purple and black, unless, of course, you play for the team facing them.