Zay Flowers Share First Impressions of New Additions to Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver Room

The Baltimore Ravens have new pieces and a new voice leading the position group as they prepare to embark on a new era for the franchise.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) catches a pass in front of Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Hudauri Hines (4) during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

During what has been an offseason of widespread change and overhaul for the Baltimore Ravens on both the roster and coaching staff, coming off a disappointing 2025 season, one position room that didn't quite experience wholesale changes but added exciting young pieces and now features a new steward at the helm is the wide receiver room.

For the first time since 2022, the Ravens didn't make a notable veteran addition at the position during the initial waves of free agency. Instead, they opted to replenish their ranks through the 2026 NFL Draft rather than re-signing five-time Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins or adding a different seasoned pro.

After prioritizing the offensive and defensive trenches with their two picks, general manager Eric DeCosta used back-to-back selections on USC's Ja'Kobi Lane in the third and Indiana's Elijah Sarratt in the fourth. Both rookies have made strong impressions on their new coaches and teammates alike, including two-time Pro Bowl wideout Zay Flowers, whom they'll be playing alongside and complementing in the passing game.

Flowers calls Lane 'Jack' and Sarratt 'E' for short and sees a similar hunger to soak up as much knowledge as possible and do whatever they can to see the field sooner rather than later.

"[Lane] has that dog mentality," Flowers said. "He wants to play. He wants to go get the ball. He wants to do everything. He wants to learn. Same thing as [Sarratt]. He wants to learn, [and] he wants to play. They came in ready to do their job. So, it's great to see, and I'm going to lead them by example, and we're all going to go."

Although his fellow former first-rounder, Rashod Bateman, is the most tenured and experienced member of the Ravens receiver corps as a seventh-year veteran, the 25-year-old Flowers is seen as the group's veteran leader, as he is the most accomplished and integral to the passing attack's success.

"It's kind of weird because I'm like the oldest one in there," Flowers said, even though Bateman is actually the oldest at 26 years old. "I'm not that old, though. It's just teaching me how to lead. It's teaching me how to lead guys that are younger than me and take what the vets gave me from my years before and give it to them."

Flowers will be tasked with continuing to lead by example with his play on the field and stepping up more as a vocal leader for youngsters like Lane and Sarratt.

New position coach is really hands on

Dec 7, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Denver Broncos wide receivers coach Keary Colbert on the sidelines during the second half against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the first three years of his career, Flowers had a position coach who had been there and done that with a former NFL wideout, and while he has a new face at the helm, that trend won't be changing.

After being coached by Greg Lewis, who came into the league in 2003 as an undrafted free agent and played for nearly a decade, he is now being coached by Keary Colbert, who came into the league one year after Lewis as a second-round pick of the Carolina Panthers and played six years.

Flowers is already taking a strong liking to both Colbert and has a preexisting relationship with Prentice Gill, who was promoted to assistant wide receiver coach after spending the last two seasons as a coaching fellow working with the same position group.

"He is a great coach," Flowers said of Colbert. "He teaches the playbook well. He makes sure we are all excited. He does the drills with us. He is down right now. He pulled a hammy." (laughter) "But, he does the drills with us. He just has everybody checked in; everybody is ready to go. Everybody is excited. All the coaches, like 'P' [Gill], he's the assistant wide receivers coach, he just makes us lock in easier. It's fun to have him out there with us."

Having a position like Colbert, who doesn't just instruct with words but displays with action what he needs his players to do firsthand, can be extremely beneficial for such a young group of professionals as the Ravens find themselves with at wide receiver.