The Baltimore Ravens revamped their wide receiver depth chart this offseason in an attempt to make the offense more explosive around Lamar Jackson. With Greg Roman out as offensive coordinator and Todd Monken taking over, the Ravens are going to look vastly different than the first five seasons of Jackson’s career.
Roman built the offense around Jackson and his rushing ability, leaning on the running game. Monken will take a more modern approach with a spread-passing attack. It is something that Jackson has said he has loved thus far as the Ravens star is in store for a big season.
A reason for the excitement is some of the new weapons around him. Nelson Agholor and Odell Beckham Jr. were both signed in free agency, upgrading the unit. But, the player who is drawing the most attention thus far this offseason is first-round pick, Zay Flowers.
The Boston College star has been drawing rave reviews and looks ready to burst onto the scene right away. His speed and athleticism have been on display since he stepped on the practice field as any concerns about his size, or lack thereof, have been quickly quieted.
Given the shiftiness that he plays with, Flowers has already earned a nickname from his starting quarterback. Jackson refers to him as Joystick, which is a fitting name given his skill set and athleticism; on the field, he looks like he is in a video game.
Receiving praise from Ravens’ head coach John Harbaugh is always nice as well. Despite being a rookie, he is carrying himself like he has done this before, something that is standing out to the coaching staff. According to NFL Rookie Watch, Flowers is already making an impact as the leading receiver on the first day of practice.
That is a sign of things to come once the regular season rolls around. Despite not having as much experience as Agholor, Beckham or Rashod Bateman, Flowers sounds like he is quickly ascending the Ravens’ totem pole for targets.