The Baltimore Ravens are in the midst of major changes organization-wide. The major theme of the offseason is “out with the old and in with the new.”

John Harbaugh, 63, after 18 years with the Ravens, was replaced by Jesse Minter, 43, who is a first-time head coach. On offense, 60-year-old Todd Monken is being replaced by 30-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. 

This extends to the actual players as well: as in years past, the Ravens would grab a veteran such as Odell Beckham Jr., DeSean Jackson, or DeAndre Hopkins, but so far the team appears to be relying on youth. This could lead to major contributions this season from rookie wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt.

Major Role

Early in the offseason, Elijah Sarratt has already made an impact. Without the Ravens’ two top receivers, Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman, participating in mini-camp, Sarratt got the opportunity to run with the first team offense and took full advantage of the situation.

Josh Reed of Sports Illustrated, in his June 19 article, wrote about Sarratt’s highlight reel play in mini-camp, and Quarterback and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson’s reaction to Sarratt’s play. 

“In the league, it’s a game of inches, and a lot of plays are bang-bang plays [where there is] a good DB on a good receiver, or a good tight end versus a good linebacker, stuff like that,” Jackson said. “We need guys who can make those types of catches.”

Sarratt is already developing chemistry with Jackson. The Ravens are hoping that chemistry can carry over into the regular season, where Jackson can trust Sarratt in a tight spot for real.

Ravens head coach Jesse Minter believes there will be opportunities in big spots for either Sarratt or Ja’Kobi Lane.

“I do think there will be major opportunities for at least one of them when you look at the number of guys that we have,” Minter said. “They’ve both done a really good job this spring of just learning a completely new offense from what they were used to from their respective colleges.”

While Sarratt and Lane have drawn the most buzz, there is another receiver making waves.

Don’t Forget About Devontez

Rookies will always draw the most excitement early in camp. They are brand-new, exciting faces, but in the offseason, familiar faces are also competing for larger roles on the team. One of those players is Devontez Walker. 

Walker has also turned heads, and according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Walker’s stock is up.

“Baltimore hasn’t added a veteran wide receiver this offseason, and that has to be viewed in some ways as a show of faith in Walker. The third-year pro, who has four touchdowns among his seven career catches, is practicing with more confidence and assertiveness,” Zrebiec wrote. “He took advantage of the increased opportunities this offseason and looked ready to become a weekly offensive contributor. Now, he’ll have to hold off rookies Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt for the No. 3 wide receiver job.”

The Ravens will enter training camp with many unknowns at the wide receiver position. They hope that when Week One against the Indianapolis Colts rolls around, they’ll have the answers to those questions.