This is the Move That Will Cement Lamar Jackson’s Status as the NFL’s Best QB: Ravens Ready to Land Ultimate Game-Changer
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson just posted arguably the best season of his NFL career and helped wide receiver Zay Flowers get to the Pro Bowl as a result.
However, the Ravens could still afford to get Jackson some more help in the aerial attack.
Beyond Flowers and sometimes Rashod Bateman, Baltimore is pretty thin at the receiver position, and with limited cap room, it may be difficult for the Ravens to make any major moves in free agency.
However, Baltimore can turn to the NFL Draft for some answers, and Josh Liskiewitz of Pro Football Focus may have found a mid-round solution: Illinois Fighting Illini star Pat Bryant.
In a recent Ravens mock draft, Liskiewitz projected Baltimore to select Bryant in the fourth round.
“At 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Bryant has an ideal frame for the NFL and knows how to use it to win at the catch point,” Liskiewitz wrote. “Over the past two seasons at Illinois, he caught an impressive 17 of 30 contested targets, also displaying impressive after-the-catch ability with 25 forced missed tackles.”
Bryant hauled in 54 receptions for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season, averaging a hefty 18.2 yards per catch.
The 22-year-old arrived at Illinois in 2021 but didn’t begin to earn legitimate playing time until his sophomore campaign, when he logged 34 catches for 453 yards and a couple of scores. He followed that up by catching 43 passes for 560 yards while reaching the end zone seven times in 2023.
Bryant is definitely one of the more intriguing receiver prospects given his blend of size and solid athleticism, and the explosiveness he displayed in 2024 speaks for itself.
We’ll see how much the Ravens prioritize adding more playmakers in the coming months.
