Of the 11 picks that the Baltimore Ravens cashed in on over this past weekend’s NFL draft, only one of them was spent on an offensive skill position. This wasn’t some testament to their overwhelming commitment to defense or pass protection, but a live indicator of Baltimore’s draft philosophy of allowing the draft board to come to them and taking the best player possible.
They avoided that splashy wide receiver selection that the team seems to swing on every other year, taking a single downfield weapon with one of their five sixth-round picks. They took Colorado wideout LaJohntay Wester at #203, and the receiver has already gone out of his way to prove the work he’ll put in to make the cut as a Raven.
He’s already been recorded running some standard real-time receiver drills, with this Monday footage acting as evidence of the effort he looks to bring to the table.
Wester spent his first four seasons at Florida Atlantic, dominating the conference as a senior by leading the AAC in receptions (108) and receiving yards (1,168). His final season, the lone campaign he spent with the Buffalos, set him up for a potential late-round pickup with a near-1,000 yard season on a career-high 12.6 yards per reception.
He’ll look to crash the current wide receiver unit headlined by Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and pass-catching tight end Mark Andrews, a top-heavy squad that’s always looking for deep cuts to come in and make plays on the margins.
Wester’s already gotten some buzz as a sleeper pick between his thriving at Colorado and the Ravens, a historically smart drafting franchise, taking a liking to him. He’s clearly interested in repaying that trust.
