As the Baltimore Ravens head into the mandatory minicamp, one point of interest will be how the receiving corps shakes up.
The Ravens are still relatively weak at wide receiver — PFF didn't rank any Ravenns receiver in their top 32 in the league. There's been some speculation about whether the Ravens will even add a free agent wide receiver before preseason.
However, according to Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard, one undrafted receiver has stood out to him in OTAs and could be ready to make an impact.
Speaking on the "Green Light with Chris Long" podcast, Ricard shouted out Dayton Wade, an undrafted receiver out of Ole Miss.
"Me being an undrafted guy, I'm going to show a little love to an undrafted guy," Ricard said. "We have a receiver, his last name's Wade, he's number 18. I'm just seeing every day this man's flashing. He's looking really crisp when he runs his routes, he's catching all the balls, he has strong hands. He doesn't say too much, he just puts his head down and is constantly just making plays.
"I think he's going to make some noise in the preseason. I just remembered his name is Dayton Wade. I think he's a guy to look out for."
Ryan Mink of the Ravens' team website also noted that Wade had had a strong showing in OTAs, with several impressive catches, including a one-hander, while playing with rookie quarterback Devin Leary.
A 5-foot-9 receiver who can play both outside and in the slot, Wade transferred to Ole Miss in 2023 after three quiet, injury-hampered years at Western Kentucky. Wade made an immediate impact at Ole Miss, catching 55 passes for 830 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Wade's best play of his college career arguably came against Georgia when he fought through contact to make a one-handed catch while falling backwards along the sideline.
At just 176 lb, Wade might be a bit undersized to be a starter in the NFL, especially on the outside.
However, his size isn't prohibitive to being impactful in the NFL. One comparison could be Miami Dolphins recevier Jaylen Waddle. While Waddle was a first-round pick and obviously had a greater pedigree than Wade's, Waddle's NFL draft profile listed him as 5' 9 1/2" and 180 lb. Waddle didn't participate in the combine, but he has reportedly run an unofficial 40-yard dash time of 4.37 seconds. Wade ran the 40 in 4.44 seconds at Ole Miss's Pro Day.
The Ravens will be hoping for growth from Zay Flowers, the recently extended Rashod Bateman, and perhaps fourth-round rookie Devontez Walker to solidify their receivers group. However, the NFL has shown us that good wide receivers can come from all over the draft (and outside of it), so Wade could make some noise as we get closer to training camp.
Watch Ricard's answer below:
