Most Concerning Question Mark Ravens Face With Rookie Ja'Kobi Lane

While some of the USC product's physical tools are outstanding, success is far from guaranteed for the third-rounder at the NFL level.

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California wideout Ja'Kobi Lane (WO27) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens took care of some urgent roster needs in last month’s NFL Draft, namely addressing the offensive line, pass rush and wide receiver room.

As part of the last group, Baltimore invested a third-round pick in USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane, a 6-4 and a half, 200-pounder who’s set to take on the X role for the offense. 

While the Ravens’ past history with wideouts around 6-4 and taller reveals minimal returns -- with names like Miles Boykin, Tommy Streeter and Clarence Moore, among others -- Lane seems to be in a good position to succeed, with Baltimore already owning a WR1 in 5-9 Zay Flowers working from the inside out.

However, Lane’s success is far from guaranteed, and here’s why:

The biggest question mark surrounding Ravens’ third-round pick Ja’Kobi Lane

Some of Lane’s physical tools are outstanding. He possesses superior body control and focus on contested catches, and knows how to shield the ball from defenders. Those qualities make him an instant red zone threat, as attested by his 12 receiving touchdowns from the 2024 season. Consider that no Raven caught more than five touchdown passes last year, and only two wideouts in team history have achieved double-digit touchdown grabs in a season, ever -- Torrey Smith’s 11 in 2014 and Michael Jackson’s 14 in 1996. That’s it, that’s the whole list.

This was just UNREAL by @jakobilane! 😤 @uscfb pic.twitter.com/98nzalpr6w

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

That means Lane’s attributes should be in high demand for new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.

However, Lane isn’t quite the complete package. At around 200 pounds, he won’t be able to push many cornerbacks around as he could at USC. As a matter of fact, he might have some trouble dealing with press coverage in the NFL. He’s not a sudden athlete either, and it takes him some time to get to full speed, limiting his ability to threaten vertically. 

In other words, don’t try to compare him to Doyle’s previous star wideout, the Bears’ Rome Odunze, who managed to haul in 44 passes for 661 and six scores in just 12 games last season for a playoff-bound Chicago team. While an inch and a half shorter than Lane, Odunze carries 12 to 15 pounds more rather effortlessly, expanding his route tree considerably in comparison to Lane’s. 

At this point of his first offseason, the biggest question surrounding Lane could be: How much more mass can Lane put on his body, without taking too much away from an already limited getoff.

Lane won’t wow many with explosiveness in and out of his cuts, but he can work on the things that already made him such an intriguing prospect, enough for the Ravens to pay up a second-day pick for him. He’ll also be afforded the opportunity to grow in the role, as most of the Ravens passing game will still go through Flowers and tight end Mark Andrews primarily.

Lane should be used to shining in a complementary role, as he recorded personal bests in catches (49) and yards (745) last year, despite sharing the field with Eagles’ first-rounder Makai Lemon. 

Lane is a solid pick in the third round, thanks to his prowess catching contested passes. But he can turn himself into a steal if he can eventually dominate physically at the next level, and for that to happen, he’ll need to work on his physique.