By Chris Schisler
Editor note: A correction was made to this post..
Today we’re going to look at the Ravens’ first-round pick Rashod Bateman. This will be a breakdown of what his game is all about and why the Ravens Flock should be excited. Before we get into the scouting report, let’s talk about the production Bateman put up at Minnesota.
In his freshman year, Bateman had 704 yards and six touchdowns on 51 receptions. It was in the 2019 season, however, when Bateman became a first-round draft pick. He had 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns. Bateman saw nine more receptions boost his numbers that much. It tells you a lot.
The 2020 season was a weird one. He only played in five games and he dealt with a Covid-19 impacted season. He had 36 receptions for 472 yards and two touchdowns. My thought is that we can kind of throw the 2020 season out. Megan Ryan of the Star Tribune wrote a very good article about Bateman and what he went through in the 2020 season. It’s worth a read and it talks about Bateman’s personal battle with Covid-19 and the context around his final year with the Golden Gophers.
Now let’s get to the scouting report shall we?
Game notebook: Rashod Bateman vs. Penn State (2019)
Rashod Bateman went off in this game. He had seven catches for 203 yards. That makes this a great showcase game for the rookie wide receiver. This was just one of his five games over 100 yards so there’s a lot of them to choose from.
Bateman is a 6-0 receiver but he almost looks a little lanky. He has a very good stance and he’s smooth out of it and into his route. He has long graceful strides and he gets where he wants to go quickly. Route running is a little inconsistent with Bateman. He’s not always a technician in this department and his routes can be a little too rounded. It’s not a big knock, but it’s something to point out.
Bateman has excellent concentration. It’s a strength of his game. Let’s talk about that touchdown. The safety had to get all the way over to make the play and he nearly did. The Minnesota quarterback put the ball slightly behind Bateman.
The adjustment to make the catch and take off was nice, the razor focus despite the safety being in his sightline was fantastic. A good throw on the rope would have made this easy. Instead, Bateman just made it look like it was.
Amazing Athlete:
Bateman has an explosive burst that’s hard to compare. He’s not Marquise Brown fast but he’s got that kind of dynamic play-making. I keep going back to the word smooth. The athletes who move like this so naturally are the ones teams are looking for. He’s a very fluid and natural athlete.
He has excellent body control. Bateman can make catches at tough angles. He can toe-tap his feet near the sideline. His catch radius is impressive and his body control should make the Ravens quite happy.
Bateman can deal with physical cornerbacks and he doesn’t seem impacted by corners who give him little space to work with. Bateman is the alpha and he’s going to win 50/50 balls and cause a lot of pass interference penalties.
Other than having work to do as a route runner and one example of letting the ball get into his body (but catching it anyway) there’s nothing to complain about here. Bateman looks the part of a star.
Game Notebook: Rashod Bateman vs. Auburn (2019)
One thing I noticed in this game was that Bateman is a tough wide receiver. He really fits into what the Ravens have always wanted at the position. He’s a willing blocker and he’s a player that is all in. This isn’t a selfish player, but at Minnesota, he was the player who hogged up the spotlight.
There was one play in this game that really stood out. Bateman caught a screen pass and nearly took it to the house. He weaved through traffic like a running back once he had the ball. Tackling Bateman isn’t fun for defensive backs. Stylistically he has some Anquan Boldin in him.
In this tape, though we see a lot of the same things we saw against Penn State. Bateman has all the tools to be great. I’m not going to keep harping on about the same traits. You get it, this is just to show that his game is consistent and to give you another look. Bateman should be able to be productive right away in the NFL. He’s got things you can’t coach and he’s tough as nails.
NEXT POST: Odafe Oweh: Rookie scouting report for Ravens 1st round pick
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Dude I stopped reading this article when you criticized him as a route runner like that was a weakness. Its common knowledge that he is specifically knows for being a good route runner. I probably should’ve stopped reading before that when you said he scored 7 TDs in a game.
Thanks for reading at all. The 7 TD thing was a typo and it has been corrected. So even if you don’t dig it, thank you.