It wasn't unexpected that the Ravens' rookie wide receivers would go through some growing pains, manifesting itself through dropped passes.
First-round draft pick Breshad Perriman gained the most attention for drops, but wasn't alone in failing to secure accurate throws as sixth-round pick Darren Waller and undrafted free agents DeAndre Carter and Daniel Brown both displayed inconsistent hands.
In the case of Perriman, most of his drops fell into the concentration-lapse category. He didn't dwell on his mistakes and would come back and catch more passes going forward.
"They have to work through it, concentration drops or whatever drops," Ravens wide receivers coach Bobby Engram said. "You just come from catching the ball more and being more focused."
In the case of Perriman, the Ravens are convinced the arrow is pointing upward. At 6 feet 2, 212 pounds with 4.22-second speed in the 40-yard dash, the son of former NFL wide receiver Brett Perriman is expected to compete for an immediate starting job. The Ravens hope he can provide a deep threat after Torrey Smith signed a $40 million contract this offseason with the San Francisco 49ers.
"We're pleased with where he is, and we just talked," said Engram, a retired NFL wide receiver who played 15 seasons and caught 650 passes for 7,751 yards and 35 touchdowns. "He still has some work to do, as a lot of rookies do, but I'm excited about what he did. He came in here, he showed the speed we thought he had, and he caught the ball consistently.
"There are a few [catches] he knows he should have had. He worked his releases, he played fast, but there are just things we've got to continue to progress him on and that he's got to continue to work on to improve. And that's any receiver working his fundamentals."
awilson@baltsun.com
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