Todd McShay Believes Rookie LaJohntay Wester Can Make an Impact at Wide Receiver
Sixth-round pick LaJohntay Wester is the leading candidate to be the Ravens' punt returner, but analyst Todd McShay believes the Colorado product can be more than that.
McShay said Wester has the talent to secure a role as the team's No. 4 wide receiver behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and DeAndre Hopkins.
"Wester's a tough little nugget," McShay said on “The McShay Show.” "I'm telling you he's going to get in the Ravens' receiving room and be like, 'Hey, I can play on this team.' I'm telling you he can. He's going to get his shot."
Despite Wester's 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame, McShay added that Wester played with toughness in college.
"[Colorado] had bigger guys, they had faster guys. It was always Wester, though, getting the tough yards in a pinch," McShay said. "If they were double-teaming or rolling coverage to Travis Hunter, he showed up. And he's been doing it for a while, just nobody knew about it."
McShay noted that Wester caught 108 passes for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 at Florida Atlantic, where he played four seasons before transferring to Colorado. In his lone season with the Buffaloes, Wester had 74 catches for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He finished his five-year career with 326 catches, the sixth-most in FBS history.
"I'm very confident in my game," Wester told our Ryan Mink during rookie minicamp.
Lamar Jackson Chosen for Dream Flag Football Team
Lamar Jackson has two NFL MVP awards and a Heisman Trophy. Could an Olympic gold medal be in his future?
Coming off the announcement that league owners will consider a resolution to allow NFL players to participate in flag football in the 2028 Olympics, NFL.com’s Nick Shook constructed a dream roster.
Unsurprisingly, Jackson got the nod at quarterback.
"Nobody embodies the electric nature of flag football more than Jackson, who would instantly become the greatest threat to every opponent when defenses choose to blitz and free him to run," Shook wrote. "With over 6,000 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns, plus 20,059 passing yards and 166 touchdown tosses in his career, Jackson is unquestionably the top choice for the job – although Jayden Daniels might make a nice second option."
NFL owners will discuss allowing players to participate in the Olympics, which will include flag football in 2028. With the potential move coming, here's a look at an all-Ravens starting five on both sides of the ball.
QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson might be the top pick in the entire NFL if there was a flag football draft. He can do it all, and defenders probably couldn't even touch him, let alone pull his flag.
RB Justice Hill
Hill is a dynamic running back adept at catching the ball out of the backfield. Only 12 NFL running backs had more catches than Hill's 42 last season.
WR Zay Flowers
A joystick wide receiver that can make anyone miss in traffic? Sign me up.
WR Rashod Bateman
There's a lot to love about Bateman's deep ball potential. Plus, his connection with Jackson is only getting better.
TE Isaiah Likely
Likely is a highlight machine and would have some viral moves in the Olympics, à la his juke-touchdown in Kansas City last season.
CB Nate Wiggins
Wiggins ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the Combine in 2024. No other analysis needed.
CB Marlon Humphrey
Humphrey was a track star in high school and one of the best athletes on the team. His X account would be a must-follow during the Olympics.
S Kyle Hamilton
Hamilton is a Swiss Army knife who can do everything. In five-on-five, what else could you ask for?
S Malaki Starks
Starks made some highlight plays at Georgia and would be an exciting centerfielder on the flag field.
ILB Roquan Smith
Every team needs a Roquan Smith, even in five-on-five. His energy would be unmatched representing the United States.
Ravens Are Early Favorites in All But Two Games
Now that the NFL schedule has been revealed, oddsmakers have released point spreads for each game.
The Ravens are the favorite in 15 of their 17 games on DraftKings, via The Baltimore Sun’s Bennett Conlin.
The only games in which the Ravens are underdogs are the Week 1 matchup at the Buffalo Bills and Week 4 contest at the Kansas City Chiefs. The spread on both games is 1.5 points.
The Ravens are double-digit favorites in two games: vs. the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 (12.5) and vs. the New York Jets in Week 12 (11.5).
The Bills are currently favored to win every game they play this season. That means the narrative that the Bills are better than pundits expected won't be on Josh Allen's MVP resume this season.
