Ravens Rookie Hits The Ground Running

From a young age, LaJohntay Wester knew what he'd have to do to make it to the NFL.

Wester, whom the Baltimore Ravens selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, always had blazing speed, but at only 5-9 and 163 pounds, his size, or lack thereof, was a concern. As a result, he was told coming out of high school that he'd need to make an impact on special teams to make it to the professional level, and he took it to heart.

"I kind of took it serious then, and I got comfortable with it, took it with the same seriousness as I take receiving," Wester said, per the Ravens' website. "In Little League, I always had the quickness, the moves. I just got bigger, stronger, faster, more confident. Now, I'm putting it all together now for the big-time league."

Wester worked his way up to becoming a primary punt returner at both Florida Atlantic and Colorado, and he made the most of his opportunity. Over his final two collegiate seasons, he returned 23 punts for 386 yards (16.8 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns, and he was named AAC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2023. Now, he'll look to prove himself in a similar role with the Ravens.

The Palmetto, Fla., still made a big impact on offense, though. Last season with Colorado, he caught 74 passes for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns, ranking second on the team in all three categories behind Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. He also made one of the most memorable catches of the year, hauling in a 43-yard Hail Mary as time expired to force overtime against Baylor.