Ravens Activate Rookie WR Ja'Kobi Lane Just in Time for a Gritty AFC North Rock Fight
Jeremy Fowler reported that Lane is 'good to go' after a full practice slate this week.
The are finally getting rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane back on the field, which is great news for anyone who enjoys watching a guy try to catch a football a month after his wrist shattered. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Saturday that Lane is officially good to go and will be activated off Injured Reserve for Sunday's divisional clash against the .
To make room for the third-round pick out of USC, had to waive veteran receiver Chris Moore. That tells you exactly how the coaching staff feels about Lane's upside, even if his NFL resume currently consists of a single 11-yard catch against the back in Week 1.
Lane fractured his wrist coming down hard in the end zone during that September debut, earning him a mandatory four-week vacation on IR. Now he returns to a 3-2 Ravens squad that just survived an overtime thriller against the , but the offensive landscape looks completely different than the one he left behind.
The biggest elephant in the room is that Lamar Jackson is officially out this week with an ankle injury. Throwing a rookie receiver into his first real game action with a backup quarterback against a tough Browns defense is the kind of trial by fire that usually ends with someone updating their LinkedIn profile.
Oddsmakers are already treating this AFC North matchup like a 1990s Big Ten game. The are sitting as three-point home underdogs with a game total hovering around a miserable 39.5 points. is coming off an ugly 17-12 loss to the and will also be missing rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, meaning this game is destined to be won in the trenches.
For fantasy managers and prop bettors, Lane is a complete wild card. He has the 6-foot-4 frame to be a red-zone nightmare, but trusting a guy fresh off wrist surgery to immediately command targets in a backup-quarterback offense is a massive leap of faith.
We will find out quickly if Lane's full week of practice translates to actual game speed. If he can instantly become a reliable target in a gritty divisional road game, the might have found the exact spark they need to survive without their MVP under center.