Dec 10, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) leaps to make a catch during the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Former Ravens Fixture Identifies Biggest Roster Need

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The Baltimore Ravens have quickly returned to form as one of the NFL's most complete squads, sliding right back into championship contention since giving the keys to their multiple-time MVP of a franchise quarterback in Lamar Jackson.

Their defensive secondary is largely considered one of the league's elites. Star running back Derrick Henry is considered among the best in the game, as is Jackson under center. They're lined with All-Pro potential nearly everywhere, with their receiver room sticking out as a potential exception.

The Ravens have come a long way in providing Jackson with actual downfield playmakers for Jackson to zip the ball to, and while they've accumulated a versatile unit in building around prospects Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman with an experienced veteran in DeAndre Hopkins and their tandem pass-catching tight ends, not everyone is convinced that this will be enough for the Ravens to finally get over the hump.

Ravens legend and likely future Hall of Famer Terrell Suggs spent his career on the opposite side of the field, rushing the passer and tackling for loss, but he knows what championship football looks like. He was still at the peak of his Defensive Player of the Year powers when Baltimore took home its most recent Super Bowl win in 2013, and he knows a gap in the roster when he sees it.

“The problem areas, I think we need a true number one receiver. Mark Andrews and [Isaiah] Likely, they can only do so much, the tight ends," Suggs said in an interview with The Action Network. "We need a true number one receiver. The [Rashod] Bateman's gonna have to be that guy for us, or Zay Flowers. I think they're the best."

"This is just my opinion. Number two receivers, you know what I'm saying? Zay is a killer in the slot. Not many nickel cornerbacks can cover him one on one. But I think we need that true number one receiver, or someone to emerge as a number one receiver.”

The Ravens have tried signing that outside voice in the past, but to no avail. Former stars have tried rekindling their spark with Baltimore's infrastructure and improved-passer Jackson, and though Suggs' thought he saw that star before, he's not seeing the obvious candidate now.

“We thought we had one a couple years ago in Odell [Beckham Jr.]," Suggs said. "But he was coming off injury, he hadn't played in a couple years. Injuries just do something to, you know, an athlete. We’re all still waiting on ‘that’ Odell to show up, the one we saw in the Super Bowl. Like he was on his way to getting Super Bowl MVP before he got hurt.”

Beckham flamed out in a one-and-done campaign with the 2023 Ravens, a past-his-prime appendage who could only muster three touchdowns across 14 games and six starts. He's now out of the league just two seasons later, having missed his chance at helping meaningfully contribute to something special with Jackson and co. The Ravens' hunt for that perfect roster continues on.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: