Ex-Ravens WR Pushes For Rashod Bateman Replacement in Draft

The Baltimore Ravens are going to be open for business with the wide receiver position, with all three top receivers being impacted in some way.

Ravens receiver Zay Flowers is getting some kind of contract extension, DeAndre Hopkins is going to be a free agent and Rashod Bateman has been the talk of trade rumors.

While discussing the wide receivers in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft on his "89 with Steve Smith and James Palmer" show, Smith suggested the Ravens find their replacement for Bateman in the first-round.

"Makai (Lemon) is one of those players, I kind of said it, and I think it maybe, he would pair excellent with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, and Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews," Smith said. "They have missed what they thought (Rashod) Bateman would be out of Minnesota."

Steve Smith pushes Ravens to pick Makai Lemon to replace Rashod Bateman

Lemon had a breakout 2025 season with the USC Trojans, finishing with 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and an unanimous All-American in 2025, adding to his 2024 third-team All-Big Ten selection.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

As for Bateman, it was about as much of a nightmare season as it could have been for him in 2025, with a combination of poor play and injuries hampering his performance. He finished with just 19 receptions for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

This is on the heels of him signing a three-year contract extension with the Ravens in the offseason, after his 756-yard, nine-touchdown 2024 campaign that earned him much acclaim. The combination of inconsistent quarterback play and Hopkins taking targets away from him just adds to his miserable 2025 season.

Baltimore has to do something about the wide receivers in the offseason, as they must improve to help their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Flowers is in good shape, and Hopkins is gone, but Bateman is really going to make or break this wide receiver room in 2026.

The Ravens have a couple of options to pick from when addressing the wide receiver room. They have been attached to trade rumors for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, which could be a good route, or select a rookie receiver in the NFL Draft. Lemon and Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston have been attached as potential selections for the Ravens.

Another thing to consider is whether the Ravens even want to give Bateman a second chance at redeeming himself.

They might want to offload him in a trade, re-sign Hopkins on a cheap deal and draft someone like Lemon to be the new replacement for Bateman. Or the Ravens could cut Bateman — Smith said that he thinks the wideout will hit free agency — but that would result in a loss of $8.1 million in cap savings if released before free agency opens on March 15. A pre-June 1 trade would only result in a loss of $5.6 million.

Baltimore must do something to get this wide receiver room in good shape for 2026, and if that means Bateman has to go, that might be the route the Ravens have to take.

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