Ravens wide receiver James Proche feels a sense of urgency to produce heading into his third year in the NFL.
Over the past two seasons, Proche has been used sparingly but he might have more of an opportunity to contribute this season.
The Ravens traded Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals this offseason and chose not to sign a veteran.
As a result, Baltimore will rely heavily on its young group of wide receivers — Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace and Proche — to produce.
Proche understands what's at stake.
"I always had Year 3 planned on to be my year," Proche said on the Ravens' "The Lounge" podcast. "Year 3, that's when they say, 'Are you going to be in the league for a long time or not?' Right now, I'm just trying to prove myself that I belong here for the long run. It's the year."
Proche was selected by the Ravens in the sixth round (201st overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
He saw action in 14 games as a rookie in 2020, contributing mostly on special teams as the primary punt returner for most of the year. He returned 23 punts for 198 yards (8.6 avg) while adding 1 reception for 14 yards and earned PFWA All-Rookie special teams honors.
Last year, Proche appeared in 14 games, finishing with career highs in receptions (16) and receiving yards (202). He also added two kickoff returns for 22 yards.
Proche recorded a career-high 7 catches for 76 yards against the Bengals on Dec. 26.
He is confident he and the rest of the young wideouts are poised for breakout years.
"Obviously, there is a lot of noise – a lot bad, some good – around our receiver room," he said. "We just want to quiet the noise with our play, with how we carry ourselves every day. "You most definitely pay attention to it whether you want to or not. As a competitor, it does put a chip on your shoulder because you want to prove those doubters wrong."
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