NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Breshad Perriman right pick, fit for Baltimore Ravens

By Kevin Parvizi

facebooktwitterreddit

The Baltimore Ravens knew they had to find a real replacement for current San Francisco 49ers standout vertical threat Torrey Smith, who became such an immense player in the offense after once being a raw rookie out of Maryland. Everyone knew that the Ravens couldn’t afford to head into the 2015 season with Steve Smith as their No. 1 wideout, especially since they had precious little behind him. It’s why their decision to select Breshad Perriman was an excellent one, though they could have chose other explosive rookie WRs, such as Phillip Dorsett (Indianapolis Colts) and Devin Smith (still available).

Perriman has to be one of the most raw receivers in the class, and he’s definitely the most drop-prone (at least among the receivers people are focusing on). His frustrating drops, however, shouldn’t marr the fact that he’s a nightmare to cover one-on-one due to his agility, ridiculous 4.26s speed, and sharp quickness. At 6’2″, 212 pounds, Perriman is a beast of a receiver, and he has about the same upside as Kevin White, who was the seventh overall pick in the draft to the Chicago Bears.

More from Baltimore Ravens

For as risky as Perriman is due to his unrefined play and proneness to drops, his sheer athleticism and speed could allow him to have a successful rookie season despite his rawness. He’ll make his fair share of frustrating mistakes, but I could see him having a similar year to Carolina Panthers 2014 rookie standout Kelvin Benjamin, who exceeded my expectations. Benjamin had drops and some route-running lapses, but he was a huge key to the offense as a No. 1 receiver and playmaker.

That’s the type of impact Perriman can have on the Ravens offense, and Flacco definitely needed another guy who has the kind of blazing speed to torch defenses downfield and allow Flacco to show off that renowned arm of his. While Perriman will drop his fair share of those passes, he can make defenses respect him with his fluidity and ability to get himself open off of sheer athletic ability.

Perriman’s long-term upside will also be predicated upon his ability to improve in the finer points of his game, since he obviously won’t be able to solely rely on athletic ability; it might not even be enough for him to succeed as a rookie. There’s no doubt that his pick comes with some risk, but the Baltimore Ravens had no other options. Perriman was the best guy available at the position, and it would have been a bit foolish for this organization to waltz into the season without a set No. 1 receiver.

I don’t think the Ravens are done with upgrading the wide receiver position either, so we’ll have to be on the lookout for other players they could decide to add to their group of Perriman, Smitty, Marlon Brown, and Michael Campanaro. Outside of Perriman and the veteran Smith, there isn’t much to like (TE Dennis Pitta‘s future is, of course, totally up-in-the-air), underscoring the necessity of drafting the UCF standout in round one.

Again, Breshad Perriman is easily one of the rawest prospects of anyone who was selected in the first round of the draft, but his ability is just beyond ridiculous. This is a guy who could become one of the league’s most fearsome receivers by even the 2016 season, and he’s actually a great fit on paper for the Ravens offense. He has Smith to help him, but he has the potential to absolutely reel in targets and benefit from Flacco’s arm. If the Ravens can add another quality WR, then they could be back in business at the position.

Next: Day 1 Grades and Analysis

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Baltimore Ravens