Wide Receiver Deon Cain Emerging as Key Playmaker for Ravens

Baltimore signed playmaker to a reserve/future contract in January.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Deon Cain was the most impressive wide receiver at the Ravens voluntary practices last week.

Cain caught several passes in traffic and hauled in a touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

With the addition of Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace in this year's draft, Baltimore now has eight players vying for perhaps six roster spots. Newly acquired Sammy Watkins, Marquise Brown, Miles Boykin, Devin Duvernay, James Proche, and Cain will compete for targets.

"Those guys are going to compete, they’re good players, [and] they’re going to help us win a lot of games." Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. "All we’ve done really is just kind of stack the deck and create a lot of competition.”

Cain is already making a strong case he can be a key playmaker on game day.

The Ravens signed Cain to a reserve/future contract in January and he remains an intriguing prospect. Cain appeared in two games with Pittsburgh in 2020, and he also spent time on the Ravens' practice squad. He'll get a chance to continue his development in Baltimore.

At 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, he has solid size to match up with cornerbacks. 

Cain was a key playmaker for Deshaun Watson at Clemson and was part of the school national championship run in 2017. Cain finished with 130 receptions for 2,040 yards and 20 touchdowns over 42 games (14 starts) for the Tigers. He also tied for fourth in program history in receiving touchdowns and caught at least one pass in each of the last 37 games he played

Cain also an impressive NFL Combine, which put him on the radar for several teams. He ran a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash, which tied for the sixth-best time of all the participating wide receivers, and had an impressive 6.71 in the 3-cone drill. 

Cain has drawn comparisons to veteran wide receiver Kenny Stills, who caught 63 passes for 931 yards with three touchdowns for New Orleans in 2013. 

Some draft analysts expected Cain to be taken in the second or third round of the NFL, but he wound up being taken in the sixth round by the Colts. 

Indianapolis coach Frank Reich liked Cain's potential.  

"We know we've got something special in Deon Cain," Reich said. 

Injuries hampered his development after suffering a torn ACL in the first preseason game. The following year, he appeared in seven games with three starts and finished with four receptions for 52 yards but was waived during the season.

Cain later latched on with the Steelers practice squad and appeared in eight games over two seasons with five receptions for 72 yards. 

Now, the Ravens are hoping Cain can flash and evolve into a key contributor.