The Baltimore Ravens have selected USC wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane with in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Here are the instant grades from Baltimore Beatdown’s staff:
Right position, very wrong player. After landing two of Beatdown’s top-20 players with his first two picks, Eric DeCosta landed our No. 157 overall prospect in the third round. Oof. He brings good size, long speed, and hands, but his short-area movement skills and route-running leave much to be desired. USC is known as a receiver
factory, but I just can’t see the upside with Lane. At best, he turns into a No. 3 receiver who will likely be limited to the boundary without a ton of playmaking upside. I’ll give it a C+ – better to overdraft a premium position than a non-premium one – with Oklahoma DT Gracen Halton as a much-preferred alternate. – Nikhil Mehta
Ja’Kobi Lane is an interesting pick. He doesn’t fit what the Ravens have done recently, focusing on separators for Lamar Jackson. Instead, he adds incredible size, 6-foot-4, and explosion, 4.47 40-yard dash and 10 foot board, to the room. The play strength to get off press and route running need lots of work but the catch radius and down field ability is incredible. A ton of contested catch and one-handed snags fill his highlight tape as well as a ton of touchdowns, a true red zone threat. He needs a lot of work to become more than a part time role player but he could fill a red zone threat role that’s been left open with the depature of Isaiah Likely and De’Andre Hopkins. I give this pick a B- with better options on the board. The Ravens must really like Tez Walker and their internal options at center since they didn’t pick a more immediate impact receiver and the center options that were left on the board. Expect Tez Walker and potentially Corey Bullock to have bigger roles this season for now.– Zach Canter
The Ravens needed to add another WR to the mix to go with Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Devontez Walker, specifically a big-bodied outside presence which is what Ja’Kobi Lane presents on paper. DeAndre Hopkins served as the go-to contested-catch target for Lamar Jackson last season so hopefully Lane will be able to replace some of his production this season. Between a questionable ability to separate and a high number of drops, I do not have high hopes for Lane to be much more than a role player, at least in his rookie season. – Dustin Cox
I’m going to give the Ja’Kobi Lane pick a B-.
Lane clearly represents what the Ravens feel they need in a tall receiving target with a large catch radius, and his RAS of 9.38 shows impressive upside. He’s a chunk yardage threat, but he’s only going to be worth the investment here if they foresee a big role for him, particularly given the holes the Ravens still have at tight end and center. Given my druthers, I would have gone Sam Hecht or Oscar Delp at that spot. – Kevin McNelis
