Jesse Minter Issues Support for Underwhelming Ravens WR

Lamar Jackson's core of Baltimore Ravens weapons and pass-catchers weren't the obvious choice for the position group that most held the 2025 squad back, but they sure didn't make his mission of scrapping out wins much easier.

They, along with both sides of the line, fell well short of what a contending group should look like. And while lead options in Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews each committed their fair shares of drops and fumbles throughout a blunder-filled campaign, no receiver disappointed quite as much as Rashod Bateman, who saw his summer of buildup get washed away through a season of invisibility within an identity-less Ravens offense.

While Flowers made the jump into a star weapon by collecting back-to-back Pro Bowl invitations, Bateman completely hung him out to dry. Still, new head coach Jesse Minter is refusing to count out the idea of relying on the former top prospect within his own reimagined Baltimore scheme, clarifying his excitement to work with the receiver even while his stock is down.

"I got a lot of confidence in Rashod Bateman," he said at the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting. "You look at what he's done in his career, he's been a really productive player...He's disappointed in how the year went. I know he's hungry. He's ready to get back to what he is."

Jesse Minter:

"I got a lot of confidence in Rashod Bateman. ... He's disappointed in how the year went. I know he's hungry. He's ready to get back to what he is."

via @Ravens pic.twitter.com/lICLoGG6Qt
— Bobby Trosset (@bobbybaltim0re) March 31, 2026

Bateman's Rapid Fall-Off

The former first-round pick has good reason to be frustrated with how 2025 panned out, even beyond the Ravens' general team-wide collapse.

He dropped from 16.8 yards per reception a season ago to 11.8, losing reps as Jackson's primary deep threat to the much-older DeAndre Hopkins and the less-proven Devontez Walker. By the time the schedule had wrapped up and the postseason bracket had been revealed without any mention of the Ravens, Bateman's 224 total yards rang in as a career-low through five go-arounds in Baltimore.

Baltimore Ravens Wide Receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Rashod Bateman — Sep 14, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) shakes hands with Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman (7) after making a catch for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Despite all of the continuity changes that racked the Ravens' locker room throughout free agency, that receiver room is still generally-similar. Where they lost all of their reserve tight ends to outside suitors, they have room to re-tool through the draft while deciding Hopkins' fate.

Flowers, after all, is good enough to demand enough attention away from Bateman entering another go at proving himself as a scoring keystone. It didn't always look pretty, but 1,211 passing yards are nothing to sneeze at, earning the slot receiver some respect from Minter of his own.

"Zay's proven to be one of the best players in the league at his position," Minter gushed. "Love Zay, he's what you want in a guy when he walks in the room, he lights up the room, he's got leadership skills, he brings everybody with him...very excited about that [receiver] room overall."

He, like Bateman, is still young enough to continue building around, inspiring hope that the Ravens can score with more cohesion and consistency than they could during Harbaugh's unknowing last stand. With improved offensive line play, a refreshed Jackson and new guidance for the downfield playmakers, there's a chance that this core could spend the coming months building up the same hype that they entered 2025 with.

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