Ravens' Lamar Jackson, Nelson Agholor Forming Elite Connection

The Baltimore Ravens had an elite quarterback-wide receiver connection last season, but maybe not the one some would expect.

Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) celebrates with a leaping wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15) after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After struggling to build a solid receiving corps for much of the Lamar Jackson era, the Baltimore Ravens made a conceited effort to improve the position group last offseason.

Their two biggest moves were signing three-time Pro Bowl selection Odell Beckham Jr. and drafting Boston College's Zay Flowers in the first round of the draft, who finished second and first respectively in receiving yards last season. From a certain point of view, though, it was actually the Ravens' relatively quiet signing of Nelson Agholor that turned out to be the best move.

According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson and Agholor formed the fifth-best quarterback-wide receiver connection by catchable target rate, with 83 percent of such passes being on-target.

"Agholor was brought in as a depth piece for the Ravens in the 2023 offseason and, despite starting just three games, managed to become a vital part of the offense," PFF's Thomas Valentine writes. "The former Eagles first-round pick caught 38 passes for 432 yards and five touchdowns and earned a 61.6 PFF overall grade on the season. Lamar Jackson’s improvements as a pocket passer led to his second MVP award, as well as an 83.0 PFF passing grade — the highest of his career — and his connection with Agholor helped nurture that.

"The veteran receiver caught 83.0% of his catchable targets from Jackson, becoming a valuable slot option for the Ravens before signing another one-year extension with the team in the offseason."

Interestingly, the Jackson-Flowers connection was also very strong, finishing ninth in the league with an 81 percent catchable target rate. Conversely, the Jackson-Beckham connection produced just a 61.2 percent catchable target rate, the fifth-lowest in the league.

"Despite the impact, the Jackson and Beckham connection wasn’t always on the same page," Valentine writes. "Beckham had the highest average target depth of his career (15.0 yards), and just 61.2% of his targets were catchable."

It's important to note that this is just one extremely specific stat, and not an overall statement on each receiver. Beckham had nearly 200 more receiving yards on the same number of receptions as Agholor, after all.

Still, it's a good indication of how Agholor holds greater value than many believe.

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