Rookie wide receiver Breshad Perriman
was a main attraction as the Ravens held their first training camp practice Thursday morning, and the first-round pick did not disappoint.
Perriman made plays all over the field, flashing his speed and ability to gain separation. He hauled in a pair of deep diving catches down the sidelines during full-team drills, but actually tweaked his knee falling to the ground on the second of those grabs.
Perriman walked off the field gingerly under his own power, and then went into the locker room with a trainer. The injury is not expected to keep him out for long.
“It’s not serious,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “It’s all sound. He’ll be back as soon as the knee feels a little bit better. It could be as early as tomorrow, or a couple days at the most."
Before leaving practice, Perriman flashed the abilities that the Ravens saw when they took him with the No. 26 overall pick. He consistently got open during one-on-one drills, and he was a popular target for quarterback Joe Flacco.
Perriman did have a pair of miscues early in practice – he jumped offsides and also had a drop – but he shook off those mistakes and made up for them with big plays. His hands have been the topic of much conversation since the draft, but he made several contested catches in Thursday’s practice.
The rookie target wasn’t the only receiver to have an impressive start to camp, and here were some of the other highlights of the day:
- Someone forgot to tell wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. he’s 36 years old. He was able to get open throughout practice, and made the play of the day with a diving grab over the middle of the field. Smith was tightly defended by cornerback Rashaan Melvin when he tipped the ball to himself with one hand and then hauled in the diving catch. Naturally, he hopped up and spun the football.
- Safety Will Hill showed why the Ravens love his potential. He consistently found himself around the football, breaking up passes and putting himself in good position to make tackles. Hill shared some of the first-team snaps with safety Matt Elam, and Hill made the most of his reps.
- Cornerback Lardarius Webb did not practice because he failed the conditioning test. Melvin took the first-team reps opposite Jimmy Smith in his absence.
- Wide receiver Michael Campanaro returned to action after missing offseason practices with a thigh injury. He showed no signs of rust after the long layoff, and was able to get through the entire practice. He ran crisp routes and made a handful of tough catches during one-on-one drills. Campanaro is in the middle of a tight competition at receiver, and Thursday was a good sign for the second-year wideout.
- Second-year linebacker C.J. Mosley returned to action after wrist surgery held him out of offseason practices. He resumed his spot with the first-team defense alongside veteran linebacker Daryl Smith. Mosley didn’t show any limitations, but he was wearing a protective plastic cast on his left hand.
- Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith looks like he has all the tools for a successful rookie season. He made his way into the backfield on several occasions, and the Ravens hope he can fill the pass-rushing void that opened with Pernell McPhee’s departure.
- Cornerback Jimmy Smith and right tackle Rick Wagner were both back on the field after last year’s season-ending foot injuries. The Ravens are somewhat easing them back into action, but they both participated in 11-on-11 drills throughout practice.
- Campanaro, Smith Sr. and Asa Jackson all took reps at punt returner. That competition is one of the more intriguing battles of training camp.
