Ravens WR James Proche Takes Reps As Holder

Proche shows versatility.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — There's a new wrinkle to the Ravens' special teams.

Wide receiver James Proche has taken snaps as the backup holder for kicker Justin Tucker.

Punter Jordan Stout will handle those duties during the regular season, but it's always good to have a backup plan.

That's why the coaches volunteered Proche even though he's never done it.

“It’s just catching a football and putting it down, so that’s all," Proche said. "There’s obviously a little more detail to it, because Tuck is the greatest to ever do it. So, I’m trying to go into his mind, what he wants. I want to do it. You all can stat check; I don’t know if any receiver has ever done it. I’m sure there has, but I have no ego with this. I’ll do whatever I have to do to help the team win. If I end up being the best man for that, or whoever it is … I don’t know. It’s just doing my job like I said.”

Proche was selected by the Ravens in the sixth round (201st overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He saw action in 14 games as a rookie in 2020, contributing mostly on special teams as the primary punt returner for most of the year. He returned 23 punts for 198 yards (8.6 avg) while adding 1 reception for 14 yards and earned PFWA All-Rookie special teams honors.

Last year, Proche appeared in 14 games, finishing with career highs in receptions (16) and receiving yards (202). He also added two kickoff returns for 22 yards.

Proche recorded a career-high 7 catches for 76 yards against the Bengals on Dec. 26.

He is having a solid camp as a wide receiver and should earn some playing time after being used sparingly over the past two seasons.

"A lot of stuff we need to work on, a lot of stuff we need to fix," Proche said. "We just have to keep getting better.”