John Harbaugh has always felt wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins should be a Raven
John Harbaugh recently held a press conference during the Annual NFL Owners Meeting where many topics were discussed. One reporter asked about new Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and what he brings to the table. Harbaugh answered with a story about the phone call he received and how Hopkins vision aligned with the Ravens but the most interesting quote was a personal feeling Harbaugh had on Hopkins. “He’s a guy, that just I’ve always felt like he should be a Raven…when I watched him play.”
Harbaugh went on to compare the feeling to a similar feeling he had when watching Derrick Henry play in the NFL for a long time and how the Ravens felt when they watched Lamar Jackson play in college. It doesn’t come as a big surprise. While results haven’t been there, the Ravens have reportedly been in on Hopkins for a long time. There was lots of chatter about Hopkins during the 2023 offseason before Jackson re-signed with the Ravens. Hopkins was clearly on the out from Arizona with the Cardinals shopping him before the 2023 draft. The Ravens instead signed Odell Beckham Jr. in early April before Lamar Jackson signed his extension in late April hours before the draft. Hopkins was released from Arizona on June 1st of that year.
The Ravens were also in on Hopkins at the height of his dominance. When the Texans made the surprise trade before the 2020 draft, the Ravens were known to have made an offer. Other reports even suggested the Ravens were the best offer the Texans received outside of Arizona where Hopkins was traded to.
The Ravens, according to multiple sources, were one of the teams that made a run at DeAndre Hopkins before the Texans traded him to Arizona. If they draft a receiver tonight, it won’t be a huge surprise.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) April 23, 2020
Outside of just his physical presence on the field that screams Raven (even if the wide receiver room itself has lacked it since Steve Smith Sr.), there are other factors as well that say Ravens wide receiver. The Ravens have a known penchant for late-veteran, third-contract receivers, and being successful with them too. Derrick Mason joined the Ravens after nine years and three contracts and became the franchise’s best wide receiver, arguably ever. Anquan Boldin was a late veteran who was instrumental to winning the 2012 Super Bowl. Steve Smith Sr. was a birth of fresh air at the end of the Joe Flacco era when the Ravens lacked pass catchers for a long time. Odell Beckham’s singular year was filled with massive plays and great presence even if the numbers weren’t there.
The Ravens love older veteran receivers and have a way of squeezing whatever juice is left out of them and typically knowing when the right moment to move on from them is, Boldin trade aside. The Ravens are going to look to do the same with DeAndre Hopkins.