If Lamar Jackson’s first evening with Miles Boykin at M&T Bank Stadium was a preview of their partnership in Baltimore, the Ravens’ young tandem has a bright future together.
In the opening 11-on-11 and seven-on-seven periods of their open practice Saturday night, held before an announced 28,312, the second-year quarterback and rookie wide receiver connected on four passes, including three for big gains.
Boykin, a third-round draft pick out of Notre Dame, first got in front of cornerback Anthony Averett for a solid gain on a crossing pattern. Then he beat cornerback Jimmy Smith down the sideline. Boykin’s first big play set up Jackson’s first touchdown, on a slant by new receiver Seth Roberts close to the goal line.
“He’s nice,” Jackson said of Boykin. “He’s amazing right now. He’s a rookie. He just came in. The guy’s pretty fast. He runs his routes crisp. He’s got for-sure hands. He’s amazing right now.”
In seven-on-seven action, Jackson found Boykin down the left sideline again on a perfectly placed, no-wobble touch pass. The throw split the zone seam between the nearest cornerback and safety, and Boykin all but walked in for a score. Not long after, Boykin beat Smith again for a big gain on yet another deep route.
“Trusting my technique, trusting the play calls, really,” Boykin said. “And I think at this level, our coaches do a great job of putting us in positions to win. It’s up to us to win one-on-ones.”
Other early offensive highlights from the Ravens’ first padded practice included a one-handed catch by undrafted free agent Cole Herdman in a three-on-three drill and a couple of nice completions by fellow tight end Mark Andrews.
Defensively, Earl Thomas III announced himself with a big hit on wide receiver Sean Modster, who didn’t see the safety approach after a catch on a roll-out by quarterback Trace McSorley. Safety DeShon Elliott, who was guilty of perhaps being overaggressive last training camp, also had a nice hit against Willie Snead IV on a crossing route.
The only play that coach John Harbaugh said he worried over was a potentially illegal hit by safety Tony Jefferson on Boykin.
“They were good hits,” he said. "I talked to Tony about the one [hit]. It might have been a little high. That’s the deal there. You can’t go to the head and neck on that. That’s a protected receiver. That could have been called.”
No change up front
A day after a belated return to practice, incumbent starting right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. remained with the second-team offense.
James Hurst, who ended last season as the starting left guard, continued to get repetitions as the first-team right tackle. At left guard was rookie Ben Powers.
Brown and Jermaine Eluemunor, who saw first-team reps at mandatory minicamp, missed the first full-team practice Thursday after failing the team’s conditioning test. Eluemunor also returned Friday and continued to see work with the second team.
Good attendance
Only two Ravens did not practice Saturday. Wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (Lisfranc foot injury) remains on the physically-unable-to-perform list, but could return this week. The first-round pick was the first Raven on the field before practice started, where he stretched and ran.
Guard Alex Lewis also did not participate. Harbaugh said Friday that Lewis’ doctor told the team that Lewis could be ready for “full go” in practice early next month.
Center Matt Skura, who missed Friday’s practice to attend a funeral, returned as expected.