OTL: Can New Staff End Baltimore’s Mid-Round WR Curse?

Before Zay Flowers, the Ravens had a massive problem at the wide receiver position for about a decade.

They spent first-round capital in ‘16 on Breshad Perriman, ‘19 on Marquise Brown, and ‘21 on Rashod Bateman, yet none of the three ever lived up to their draft hype.

Yes there have been first round busts, but the Ravens have also failed time and again on mid-to-late round wide receivers.

Can it be hard to find opportunities for these late -ound guys? Yes. Has nearly every other team produced at least one above average receiver after round 2 since 2016? Yes. Have the Ravens? No.

To give an idea, here are some active receivers that were picked round 3 or later since 2016 who were/are superstars in the NFL.

Tyreek Hill (5th round – 2016)

Amon-Ra St. Brown (4th round – 2021)

Puka Nacua (5th round – 2023)

Cooper Kupp (3rd round – 2017)

Nico Collins (3rd round – 2021)

Chris Godwin (3rd round – 2017)

Terry McLaurin (3rd round – 2019)

Here are a few more who are more than serviceable as WR2s or even WR1s in a crunch.

Jakobi Meyers (2019 – UDFA)

Khalil Shakir (5th round – 2022)

Darnell Mooney (5th round – 2020)

Josh Downs (3rd round – 2023)

Jauan Jennings (7th round – 2020)

Parker Washington (6th round – 2023)

Calvin Austin III (4th round – 2023)

Now, onto the Ravens wide receiver draft picks from rounds 3-7 since 2016.

Chris Moore (4th round – 2016)

Jaleel Scott (4th round – 2018)

Jordan Lasley AKA the dude who got cut after throwing a football into the pond during training camp (5th round – 2018)

Miles Boykin (3rd round – 2019)

Devin Duvernay (3rd round – 2020)

James Proche (6th round – 2020)

Tylan Wallace (4th – 2021)

Devontez Walker (4th round – 2024)

LaJohntay Wester (6th round – 2025)

Yes, there are some good returners on this list, and considering that, Duvernay is probably the best pick listed, but only one of these nine guys amassed over 1,025 yards as a Raven, and it was Moore.

History says that the chances aren’t great, but can a new coaching staff create an environment where young, talented receivers can thrive?

My belief is that John Harbaugh and the offensive coordinators during this span are equally at fault for none of these picks turning out so far.

Take Walker for example. It seemed like every ball that found his hands turned into a big play; in his career, 7 receptions for 157 yards and four touchdowns, and last season he had a key early-game score in Week 18 against Pittsburgh.

Despite that, he played just 163 snaps in 2025. With DeAndre Hopkins out of the mix, perhaps Declan Doyle and the offensive staff can turn Walker into an explosive piece for Lamar Jackson.

Perhaps the youth movement in the wide receiver room won’t stop there. Now, Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt enter the picture, the Ravens’ 3rd and 4th-round picks from just over a week ago.

Lane, the USC product, and Sarratt, the national champion from Indiana, have similar profiles but each has their own specialty within their big-bodied frame.

Lane is a vertical monster. He doesn’t separate too well, but his 6’4” frame allows him to go up and get it with just about anybody. Whether it’s pure jump balls or back shoulder opportunities, Lane snatches them down.

Baltimore has lacked that kind of receiver since Anquan Boldin, and perhaps Lane can make a handful of impact grabs from Jackson in his rookie campaign.

This was just UNREAL by @jakobilane! @uscfb pic.twitter.com/98nzalpr6w

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

Moving to the latter of 2026 receiver picks, Sarratt is a prospect that many thought to be better than Lane, but does it really matter at the end of the day if you end up with both of them?

The St. Frances Academy product also has some size at 6’2”, and while he can make the contested catches and bring down back-shoulder balls, Sarratt is excellent in the middle of the field, a section of the gridiron where Jackson excels.

Sarratt can play the slot as well, and in that way he profiles similarly to Keenan Allen between his hands, route-running, body control, and size. Sarratt doesn’t have the speed to burn defenders over the top, but boy is he crafty.

History says that these two are coming to a graveyard, but can a new coaching staff get the best out of two seemingly talented mid-round receivers?

The post OTL: Can New Staff End Baltimore’s Mid-Round WR Curse? appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2026/05/05/out-to-lunch/mid-round-wr-curse/