Former SMU wide receiver and current Ravens rookie James Proche is the “man for the job” at punt returner according to John Harbaugh
With the Baltimore Ravens in training camp, there’s a handful of starting jobs up for grabs. Among them is at punt returner where the Ravens have been struggling to find a consistent weapon for years now. According to coach John Harbaugh, sixth-round pick James Proche is the man for the job.
“It’s James’ role to win and he’s got to go win it,” Harbaugh said Friday. “I believe he’s up for the challenge, he’s the man for the job.”
It was expected there would be a bigger fight for the return specialist job this year. But with De’Anthony Thomas among the two Ravens to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19, Proche is now penciled into the starting spot. That’s not to say he won’t have any competition, however. Harbaugh named two other players who will get some valuable reps back there throughout training camp.
“We’ve got Willie Snead,” Harbaugh continued. “I know Willie would like to do it too, he’s back there all the time. Marquise [Brown] catches punts every day. We’ll see as we go.”
It’s safe to say Baltimore drafted Proche with special teams in mind after hearing the team talk extensively about him in that role this offseason.
Immediately after selecting Proche with the 201st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta sung the SMU wide receiver’s praises on punt returns.
“I watched him catch punts that weekend in Mobile, and I was really impressed by how he judged the ball and secured the catch,” DeCosta said following the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft. “He’s a guy that gets upfield quickly with the football in his hands as a punt returner, and that’s an important position. It’s hard to find those kinds of guys that have that special skillset.”
DeCosta and Harbaugh aren’t the only people impressed with Proche’s abilities. Special teams coordinator Chris Horton previously said Proche was in the mix for the return specialist job, echoing DeCosta’s sentiments.
For his part, Proche wants to get on the field any way he possibly can. As a late-round draft pick, Proche’s road to glory starts with special teams and returning punts. It’s something he noted in his first press conference with reporters after being drafted by Baltimore.
“I love punt return,” Proche said a few days after the 2020 NFL Draft. “I really just love catching the ball. Anything that involves ‘catch the ball and go make a play,’ that’s what I do. As far as punt return goes, that’s something I feel comfortable with. Kind of being back there alone, having full control, judge the ball, and showcase my abilities once I catch the ball. I’m extremely excited about being put in that role with the Ravens organization. Like I said before, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability.”
It’s something Proche is no stranger to doing, returning at least 12 punts in three of his four seasons at SMU. Over the last two years, Proche returned 37 punts for 329 yards. Proche’s 9.6 yards-per-return average on punts in 2019 would have been one of the more successful in the NFL last season, ranking seventh among players who returned at least 10 punts.
With a clear path forward, Proche has a chance to make Baltimore’s return team consistent for the first time in years. The last two seasons have seen the Ravens rotate players into the role with pretty awful results. In 2018 Baltimore had Tim White and Janarion Grant each field several punts before signing Cyrus Jones midseason and plugging him into the position. Last year, Jones ceded the job to Thomas after fumbling several times.
Even having stability hasn’t meant adequate production for the Ravens. In 2016 Devin Hester was signed to be the return specialist but averaged a paltry 7.2 yards over 25 punt returns that season. Since 2014, Baltimore has had just two punt returners — Michael Campanaro and Jones — average more than Proche’s 9.6 yards-per-return while returning at least 10 punts.
Despite his late-round draft status, Proche is expected to do big things with the Ravens. His worth ethic, quickness, and intelligence have been called out by more than one person who has worked out with him this offseason. And if Proche can get a stranglehold on the punt return job, he’ll likely find himself on the field on offense at some point too where he can live up to the hype he’s rightfully earned.
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