The Baltimore Ravens made a big move during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. They traded wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the Arizona Cardinals for their first-round pick. The Ravens would move down again, making another deal with the Buffalo Bills and selecting Tyler Linderbaum with the 25th pick.

It was a move that surprised a lot of people. Baltimore isn’t loaded with wide receiver depth to the point trading away arguably their No. 1 receiver seemed like a possibility entering the draft. But, they were presented with a deal that they felt was too good to pass up and they accepted it.

Without Brown, there is an opportunity for someone else to step up. There aren’t many household names on the depth chart, but one player that is ready to take advantage is Rashod Bateman.

Bateman was the team’s first-round pick in 2021 and he showed some flashes in 12 games as a rookie. He certainly liked having Brown around, but it is now his time to shine and he is confident that he can get the job done.

“All respect due to him, and I’m going to miss him because he’s my brother, but it was like, it’s my time,” Bateman said. “I feel like Baltimore drafted me for a reason. They drafted me to be in this position. For me, all I’ve been waiting on is the opportunity. I know what I’m capable of, I feel like the Ravens organization knows what I’m capable of. I’m just excited to go out and finally show it to the fans and especially to my teammates, for sure.”

The Ravens are still a run-first offense, but they are going to need someone to step up and become Lamar Jackson’s top option in the passing game. That player should be Bateman, who came out of Minnesota with the prototypical size and skills to become a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver.

Last season, Bateman caught 46 passes for 515 yards and one touchdown. It would not be surprising to see him double those statistics this season, as there are now 146 targets up for grabs with Brown in the desert.