The Baltimore Ravens have been looking to upgrade their wide receiver group during the 2021 offseason, signing Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal. However, the team might not be done adding pass catchers, as they could look to select a wideout in the 2021 NFL Draft.
One player who Baltimore could look at in the later rounds is University of Louisville receiver Dez Fitzpatrick. The former Cardinal has valuable experience playing on the outside, but also has experience playing with Lamar Jackson, which Baltimore could consider a major plus.
Dez Fitzpatrick is my top receiver for the Ravens in the 2021 draft based off of skillset, value, and potential
If Fitzpatrick is drafted by Baltimore, Lamar Jackson would have a big target to throw to who he’s very familiar withpic.twitter.com/Tyq27kSPJ4
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) February 22, 2021
The 6-foot-2, 202 pound receiver caught 154 passes for 2,589 yards and 21 touchdowns during his four years in college, and showed that he does a little bit of everything. Fitzpatrick is one of the best route runners in the 2021 class and uses his elite stop-start ability to leave defenders in the dust. While he won’t overly impress anyone with his speed, he doesn’t need it because he’s extremely physical and can outmuscle defenders for the football.
The biggest concerns with Fitzpatrick are that he isn’t overly dynamic, and has to rely on mostly technique sometimes as opposed to elite speed or amazing body control. He also had stretches where he made little to no impact in college, but some believe that was due to the quarterback play at Louisville once Jackson departed for the NFL.
Fitzpatrick might truly be the best receiver in the draft for the Ravens based off of his skillset, production and where he’ll be available in the draft. Many view him as a Day 3 prospect being taken anywhere in the fourth to sixth round. Fitzpatrick is an established option who fills exactly what Baltimore needs and could provide an immediate impact if given the chance. If the Ravens decide to select other positions in the first few rounds of the draft and save taking wide receiver for later, Fitzpatrick could be a name to keep an eye on.