Ravens Rookie With the Best Chance to Surprise Everyone In Training Camp

Ravens draft Adam Randall, their last selection in a busy fifth-round, has a chance to be as impactful as any rookie on the roster not names Vega Iaone (14th overall).

The closer we get to camp, the more confident I am. Too many scouts have gushed to me about him. The fact that owner, who had never been involved in a draft selection before in his long career, took credit for this selection in real-time, was telling. And none other than Sean Payton, who invented the Joker position in an offensive scheme that Ravens rookie coordinator Declan Doyle spent nearly his entire career in and is bringing to Baltimore, told me he wanted Randall, too, as a Joker in his offense that nearly went to the Super Bowl with a back-up quarterback last season.

That qualifies for me.

He brings more to the table from a diversity and athletic standpoint than most of the other prospects, in a unique frame. Payton said he already had hands and makes plays in the pass game like an NFL wide receiver, spending a year at Clemson as a halfback – out of necessity – playing quarterback in high school and bringing a frame that will allow him to hold up as an interior player or an external receiver all bodes incredibly well for him.

“If you just watched his greatest hits as a receiver,” Payton told me on “The Daily Flock Show” recently, “those were impressive. And then the move to halfback was really based on what they needed, and he obviously did a great job with that.

“But I’m glad you brought him up, because he was a little pet cat for us during the draft, particularly for me … So we had a vision for him as well. I wasn’t surprised at all to see that selection. I was kind of happy for Declan and Baltimore.”

The more I learn about what Doyle is going to want to do, the more I see Randall getting opportunities to impact this offense right away.

Swiss Army Knife

The learning curve will be tough for the receivers and the tight ends that the Ravens selected. They will get a lot of the attention and they have already gotten most of the hype and they will be social media darlings with highlights from practices. But I suspect that Randall will earning major currency with the coaching staff as he shows progress in a hybrid role that carries significant weight in the Payton coaching family tree.

And unlike a lot of the other positions on this roster, there isn’t a high-priced veteran or two blocking this skill position player, though that dynamic is different elsewhere. He can also push for work in the return game, adding to his value, and if/when roster crunches emerges, the ability to fill in at some many spots will work strongly in his favor.

The Ravens have to find creative ways to move the football without Derrick Henry running it 300 times again. He’s never managed that three years in a row in his career previously without breaking down, and at age 32, where NFL RB careers expire, trying to cull more than 225 carries out of him would be extreme.

Justice Hill is pushing 30 now and he’s had medical issues and the Ravens didn’t add anything from the outside of note whatsoever at wide receiver, running back, fullback or tight end, all positions Randall melds into. Payton, eve after previous workouts with Randall, flew his tight ends coach back east to work him out one more time focusing even more on those blocking duties, and the entire staff watched the workout and came away impressed.

At this point, asking around about the young man’s focus and character and demeanor as well as his football potential, I’m a believer. And while picking all of this up on the fly won’t be easy, I get the sense the Ravens think he can handle it.

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