The Baltimore Ravens are expected to utilize the wide receiver position more than at any other point since Lamar Jackson became the full-time starting quarterback in his second year in the league under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
In the offseason, they moved on from six-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard and let tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar walk in free agency as well. While they still fully intend to heavily utilize the position, and they drafted a pair of rookies in the same class for the fifth time in franchise history, they took two receivers first with back-to-back picks in the middle rounds.
Since they are slated to deploy more 11 personnel packages, which include one running back, one tight and three wide receivers, the No. 3 wideout in their offense will essentially be a starter. That was the case in the second half of last season for the Chicago Bears, where Doyle served as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator.
After not seeing the field for even 30% of the team's total offensive snaps in a game through the first seven games of his rookie year, Bears' receiver Luther Burden averaged 53.01% in his final eight regular-season games and never dipped below 39%, and his average jumped up to 57.09% in the playoffs.
With the start of training camp just over a week away, there's no clear answer to who will be the first man up to play alongside two-time Pro Bowler Zay Flowers and sixth-year veteran Rashod Bateman when the Ravens trot onto the field in three-receiver sets.
It should make for an intriguing battle over the next month and a half, including joint practices and preseason games, so not having an answer yet is something the team should absolutely be happy about with the promising young options they have on the roster that will battle for it.
Sizing up the competition
Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (13) runs with the ball after making a catch against against the Oregon Ducks during the fourth quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For the first time in four years, the Ravens didn't go out and add a mid-tier or seasoned veteran wide receiver who is past his prime, and instead are actually going to give their young, recently drafted in-house options plenty of opportunities to seize the role without impediment
The player who is poised to benefit the most from this expanded pathway to earn more playing time is third-year pro Devontez Walker. He will finally get a chance to show what he can do running with the first-team offense more often after making the most of very limited snaps in his first two seasons.
As a rookie in 2024, the former fourth-round pick was only targeted three times in nine regular-season appearances and scored his first career touchdown on his lone reception on a 21-yard dart from Jackson. Last year, he saw a slight uptick in usage and hauled in 6-of-8 targets for 136 receiving yards and a trio of touchdowns.
I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to imagine a world in which Devontez Walker steps up and makes that WR3 position his very own!
Here are all SIX of his receptions from this season. All he needs is opportunities! Will Declan Doyle rate Tez highly enough to give him more snaps? pic.twitter.com/v123NP6YbE
— Nic Mason (@British_Raven19) February 18, 2026
Walker has a chance to establish himself as a reliable and potent vertical threat in the Ravens offense that could not only lead to more explosive plays downfield for himself but also open up more space underneath and at the intermediate level. He ran a 4.36 at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and averages 22.4 yards per catch in his career, so his speed can definitely kill opposing defenses if he's unleashed.
The aforementioned two mid-round rookies that the Ravens selected before double-dipping at tight end were Ja'Kobi Lane in the third round out of USC and Elijah Sarratt in the fourth round out of Indiana University. Both made names for themselves as contested-catch specialists at the collegiate level and showed a knack for finding their way into the end zone at a high clip, scoring multiple touchdowns every season
At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Lane brings a different physical dimension and playmaking style as a big-bodied true 'X' receiver type that they didn't have on the team after deciding not to bring back five-time Pro Bowl veteran DeAndre Hopkins. He has massive hands, a wide catch radius and impressive body control that he uses to make acrobatic catches, and he can be a great asset in the red zone.
Sarratt measures in at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds and is a more versatile receiver whom the Ravens can line up at multiple spots, but especially excited about the kind of damage he can do out of the slot. He was a scoring machine in college, logging 44 career touchdown receptions, including an FBS-leading 15 as a senior. Sarratt also comes with a championship pedigree, having been a key contributor on the Sooners' national title-winning team in 2025.
There's a more than solid chance that one or more of these three players carves out a role for themselves even if they don't win the primary No. 3 spot in the pecking order, but watching them battle it out will be fun to monitor and could be a sign of another star in the making.
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