Ravens WR Approaching Bust Territory?

Pressure is on Baltimore Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman to perform this season.

Sep 25, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) runs with the ball in front of New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones (31) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The label of "bust" is never a good one to have in the NFL, and one Baltimore Ravens receiver could be dangerously close to earning it.

Rashod Bateman, the No. 27 pick in the 2021 draft, has largely been a disappointment through his first three seasons. Despite joining a team that badly needed receiver help when he was drafted, Bateman has just 93 receptions for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns in 34 career games. He has battled injury, but even when he played 16 games last season, his production was very underwhelming.

Bateman received a vote of confidence from the Ravens in the form of a two-year extension worth just under $13 million, which surprised even him, but it's still hard to feel like this isn't a make-or-break season for him. CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso agrees with that sentiment, listing Bateman as a "former early pick in danger of being a bust."

"Add a litany of injuries, and you have an exquisite recipe for disappointment, which is precisely what Bateman has been through three seasons with the Ravens," Trapasso writes. "His career-high in catches is 46, which came as a rookie. Same with his 515 yards. He tested as a slightly above-average athlete and was a production machine at a young age at Minnesota. ...

"With 2023 first-round pick Zay Flowers and perennial stud tight end Mark Andrews now the primary options in Baltimore, the typical first-round pick pressure has been alleviated from Bateman. But Baltimore needs to see more than 350-500 yards for him in Year 4, or his bust status will be cemented."

Bateman currently projects as the No. 2 receiver behind Flowers, and as Trapasso notes, another lackluster season just won't cut it.

The 24-year-old has shown strong potential, as he had 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final collegiate season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. If he wants to secure his future in Baltimore long-term, then he'll need to find the form that made him a first-round pick in the first place.

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