Georgia-Florida Prospects Draw Ravens In

Georgia, South Florida Connections Dominate the Ravens WR Meetings at The Combine

The Ravens have wasted no time doing their due diligence on the 2024 WR class, having met with Georgia’s Ladd McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, FSU’s Keon Coleman, Oregon’s Troy Franklin and Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, among others.

McConkey’s strong Senior Bowl performance and Georgia connection to Todd Monken will have him frequently mocked to the Ravens as he rises through the draft process. I asked him about potential reuniting with Monken in Baltimore, and he certainly seemed interested in the idea:

“[Monken] was a great coach. He did a lot for me, he gave me a chance that second year. We won two Nattys together, so it was a special time. To be able to reunite with him would be cool. Great coach, great person. [The Ravens] had a good year this past year, as well.”

I asked Ladd McConkey about his time with Todd Monken and how he would feel about a reunion in Baltimore. He also confirmed he has met with the Ravens. Full answer c/o @Royal_Farms pic.twitter.com/W2y42uoeen

— Nikhil Mehta (@nmehtaUR2022) March 1, 2024

McConkey’s relatively-smaller frame might be a concern to some NFL teams, but his profile actually fits what the Ravens have looked for at the top of the draft. He has elite agility and short-area quickness with enough long speed to decisively win routes when he separates. He sees himself as a versatile receiver who can “win on the outside and the inside,” another trait he shares with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman.

The Georgia wideout lacks the elite production and skillset of a true WR1, but he has the tangible and intangible abilities needed to succeed at the next level. His injury history and low ceiling (relative to the rest of the WR class) are the main factors keeping him out of first-round consideration, but he’d be a strong Day 2 add to Baltimore’s receiver room.

Even more intriguing than McConkey was his Georgia teammate, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, who has met with the Ravens as well. He’s a Day 3 pick who doesn’t have an elite athletic tool to hang his hat on, but his technique, hands and effort all have a place in the NFL, especially with his special teams experience in college. Rosemy-Jacksaint was noticeably excited at the prospect of reuniting with Monken as well, calling it a “blessing” to play with him again. He continued:

“It would definitely be cool to reunite with Coach Monken. Just the fact that I know his offense – it may be different up in the league, but for the most part I feel like I’d be able to adapt to his offense pretty quickly.”

Jacksaint’s Ravens connections run deeper than Monken, too. Like Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers, he hails from South Florida and has even trained with Jackson in the past. “It would be a full circle moment for me: seeing guys when they were younger back in high school and college out there in the league showing out, playing, having a great career,” said Jacksaint. If the Ravens don’t address the receiver room on the first two days of the draft, Jacksaint could be an easy late round pick for a front office and coaching staff that’s already familiar with him.

Very impressed with Georgia WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. Trained with Lamar Jackson in the past and played under Todd Monken at Georgia. Confirmed he has met with the Ravens. Full answers about South Florida NFL connections and a potential Monken reunion below, c/o @Royal_Farms! pic.twitter.com/De7jvuDWZX

— Nikhil Mehta (@nmehtaUR2022) March 1, 2024

The meetings with Coleman, Franklin and Mitchell will certainly excite Ravens fans looking to add another weapon to Lamar Jackson’s arsenal. All three are viewed as borderline first-round prospects who could lock down R1 status with a strong testing day tomorrow.

Coleman said he would be “grateful” for the opportunity to play with Lamar Jackson, adding that playing with a re-signed Odell Beckham Jr. would be “even better.” The FSU standout is expected to come in around 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, a stark contrast to Eric DeCosta’s draft history at receiver (under 6 feet and 190 pounds, on average). His explosiveness, flexibility and play strength show up consistently in his game; circus catches are commonplace for him. However, his route-running lacks the nuances and lateral agility of other top receivers in the class, concerns he could answer in his workout today (Saturday). While he makes up for his lack of separation with dominance at the catch point, that hasn’t been a model for success for similar receivers entering the league.

Coleman didn’t seem too worried about falling into that archetype, telling the press, “there isn’t a guy I compare myself to.”

As for today’s testing, Coleman said he is “going to give the world what they want to see.”

For the Ravens under DeCosta, that has typically meant a 40-time around 4.4 seconds and broad jump around 125 inches. Coleman can hit those marks on the field, but the Ravens’ first-round receivers have all profiled as separators more than contested catch merchants. Other teams may roll the dice on his physicality and toughness, but Baltimore will likely need to see some impressive agility numbers to consider Coleman with the 30th overall pick.

Adonai Mitchell is yet another receiver in this draft with Todd Monken connections having played in Georgia for 2021 and 2022. He has the size the Ravens currently lack in their receiver room, but there are questions about his ability to translate that size into on-field physicality. Mitchell spoke to the media about the extra work he’s willing to put in, both physically and mentally, but that doesn’t align with the lackluster effort he’s put on tape when his number isn’t called.

However, his insight on route-running showed a player who knows what it takes to win routes at the next level.

“I like to change pace in routes,” Mitchell said, “and I never run routes full speed.” That allows him to run routes for a full drive and always feel like he’s in control of his matchups vs. opposing cornerbacks. Mitchell also studies the craft of successful NFL receivers, saying he tries to take the best parts of their game into his own with my personal favorite quote of the day:

“If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’. So I definitely try to cheat a lot.”

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