Why Ravens should be cautiously optimistic about WR

Odell Beckham Jr. Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

Why Ravens should be cautiously optimistic about Odell Beckham Jr.

By Aaron Becker | Last updated 5/18/23

The Ravens have all the reason in the world to be optimistic about Odell Beckham Jr. in 2023. However, they should also be cautious with the veteran wide receiver.

ESPN's NFL insider, Field Yates, agrees as he names Beckham Jr. as one of "the toughest players to rank in 2023" after not having seven or more catches in a regular season game since December of 2019.

"The bottom line is, it's been a long time since we've seen Odell Beckham Jr. have a full season of production, even like a semi-solid stretch of consistent regular-season production," Yates said.

Odell Beckham, Jr. has incredible talent.

He also hasn’t had a regular season game with 7+ catches since December of 2019.

Those are parts of why ranking him is a tough exercise. pic.twitter.com/t9nbvwZlMP
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 17, 2023

Beckham Jr., who will turn 31 this season, has struggled with injuries over the past few years, missing all of the 2022 season after tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI.

However, it is tough not to be optimistic after paying Beckham Jr. a one-year deal worth up to $18M. If fully healthy, he can still be one of the top players at his position in the league, but that's a big if.

"We have seen him be one of the best players in all of football. He took the league by storm as a rookie," Yates added. "He's going to play with the best quarterback in his career in Lamar Jackson."

It will be interesting to see what Beckham Jr. will look like in Baltimore's offense, which has been very run-heavy for some time now. The Ravens will likely open things up more with their newest weapons for Jackson, but only time will tell to what extent.

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