After a season in which they threw for just 23 touchdowns, the Ravens' pass-catching unit was a huge question mark heading into the offseason. With one of the largest draft classes in the league, general manager Eric DeCosta addressed the need by adding two gems in the third and fourth rounds.
Rashod Bateman has recorded a drop percentage below 7% just once in the last four years. With the Super Bowl window beginning to close for some of the older players on the roster, Ja'Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt were brought in to help counteract some of Bateman's shortcomings. Throwing for 7.8 yards per attempt in 2025, Lamar Jackson will have the speed of Lane and Sarratt at his disposal, allowing the offense to open up and force defenders to cover more of the field. Now that Zay Flowers has legitimate help on the outside and in the slot, defenders will be forced to spread out, giving all of the receivers more space to make plays and gain strong chunks of yards after the catch.
Lane goes from SoCal to Charm City
Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Drafted in the third round, Ja'Kobi Lane racked up 1,363 yards during his three years at USC. Standing at 6-foot-4, he towers over Flowers and other wide receivers, giving him a serious advantage in jump-ball situations. With a 37% success rate in the red zone in 2025, Lane's size will help him develop into a consistent weapon for the Ravens and haul in passes in the back of the end zone.
"Lane had a whopping 12 touchdowns in 2024. Only four wide receivers in the FBS scored more. Of his 16 touchdown catches over the past two seasons, 11 came in the red zone," Ryan Mink wrote. "With his height, hands and vertical jump, Lane will give the Ravens a jump-ball threat that should help them deep in scoring position. He said his favorite route is a fade."
Sarratt returns to his roots
Playing his high school ball up the road at St. Frances Academy before finishing his collegiate career at Indiana, Elijah Sarratt went from catching passes from Fernando Mendoza to Lamar Jackson. Similar to Lane, Sarratt brings a massive frame and size that can help him line up either inside or outside and be utilized in a variety of red zone formations. Leading the Big Ten with 15 receiving touchdowns, he'll pose a significant threat to defenses in short-yardage situations. After making a name for himself with spectacular back-shoulder catches, it'll be the quick inside routes that allow him to gain huge chunks of yards.
"My mindset is just that any time the ball is in the air, it's mine," Sarratt said. "It doesn't matter if I'm uncovered, if I have one person on me or two people on me. Just as a receiver, if you want to be great, you have to have that mindset. So, whatever pass it is, I feel like I can make it."
