OWINGS MILLS, Md.— Ravens rookie Tylan Wallace has been compared to another top playmaking wide receiver, Steve Smith.
Both players are a bit undersized but make up the difference with their toughness. Both Wallace and Smith are also ultra-competitive and embrace those physical one-on-one battles with defensive backs.
If Wallace can match Smith's production, he'll have a long, productive career in the NFL.
“I’ve actually never met Steve," Wallace said. "It means the most to me to be compared to a receiver like that with that caliber. I’d love to meet him and obviously get to know him a little bit, talk some ball and everything like that. Like I was saying, for me, I think I need to take a few more steps before I can really appreciate that comparison.”
The Ravens drafted Wallace from Oklahoma State in the fourth round of this year's draft.
Wallace, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, led the Big 12 with 922 yards receiving in 2020. He also led the conference with 5.9 receptions per game and 92.2 receiving yards per game, earning All-American honors from both the AFCA and Walter Camp teams.
Wallace is confident those skills will translate to the NFL. He has the ability to play outside or on the slot.
"Moving from outside receiver to inside receiver is a little bit of a challenge, but nothing I don’t think I can handle," Wallace said. "So, I just have a lot of work to do.”
Wallace already signed his rookie contract. He made some exceptional plays in the most recent Ravens rookie minicamp.
Moving forward, he is looking forward to catching passes from quarterback Lamar Jackson ... after meeting him in-person.
"I haven’t met Lamar yet – I’m looking forward to that, for sure," Wallace said. "I think the biggest thing, at least for me, is the different way they run offense in the NFL. Obviously, I come from Oklahoma State. We were a big tempo team, one word and go. So, it’s definitely different from getting in a huddle, hearing the play called and getting out there. I’m definitely excited to get in here and learn. The first day wasn’t too bad. It went pretty good, but I definitely have a lot of learning to do.”
More must-reads: