Heading into his second season, many analysts have pegged wide receiver and Gopher alum Rashod Bateman as a breakout candidate for the 2022 NFL season. Bateman will likely be the WR1 for the Ravens this season, after they lost receivers Sammy Watkins and Marquise Brown to the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals, respectively.
Despite Bateman’s youth, his teammates seem to think he can step up to the role. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, who set the single season franchise records for yards and receptions in 2021, thinks Bateman has looked up to the task at practices this offseason.
“He’s running great routes. A lot of his releases, and everything…He’s getting open at the line super, super quick,” Andrews said in an interview with USA Today. “And then, he’s got a burst of speed that people don’t really talk about. And again, [in his] second year – he’s a guy that’s just going to get better, better and better. The sky is the limit for him.”
Bateman had a sensational three years with the Gophers. He had 704 yards and six touchdowns in 2018, the most ever for a Gopher freshman, and was named first team All-Big Ten and second team All-American after his 1,200 yard, 11 TD sophomore season in 2019.
As a result of his collegiate career, the Ravens drafted Bateman with the No. 27 pick of the 2021 NFL draft. He became the first Gopher drafted in the first round since 2006, when the Patriots drafted running back Laurence Maroney No. 21 overall.
Bateman missed the first five games of the 2021 NFL season with a groin injury and made his debut against the Chargers in week six. He had his first 100-yard game against the Browns in week 14 and caught his first touchdown against the Bengals in week 16.
Despite a solid rookie season, which he finished with 46 catches for 515 yards and one touchdown in 12 games, Bateman was not catching passes from starting quarterback Lamar Jackson for part of the season. Jackson missed the final four games of the season with an ankle injury.
In 2019, Jackson led the Ravens to a record of 14-2 and won the NFL MVP by unanimous vote, but he has regressed slightly over the past two seasons. If Bateman can break out and handle the role of being the top wide receiver in Baltimore, Jackson could potentially return to that level of play.
The Ravens went 8-9 in 2021 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Bateman and the Ravens will look to improve on that record when they begin their regular season on Sept. 11 against the New York Jets.
