How Hopkins Brings a New Element to Jackson and the Ravens

During a recent offseason conversation with Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey and a strength coach, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins shared his thoughts about Baltimore from an outsider’s perspective.

“It seems like there’s been a piece that’s been missing,” Hopkins told them. “I could be that addition. I could not be.”

Now entering his first season with the Ravens, Hopkins is hoping to add something different to Lamar Jackson’s offense — and that may depend on how quickly the two stars build trust.

A Receiver Known for Tough Catches

Hopkins has made a career out of making tough grabs. During his four straight Pro Bowl seasons from 2017 to 2020, he led the league in touchdown catches on tight-window throws — when a defender is less than one yard away. Since entering the NFL in 2015, Hopkins has caught 84 of these tightly contested passes, fifth-most among active players.

Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey even called him “Mr. Contested Catch.”

But Jackson usually plays it safer. Last year, he threw into tight windows just 52 times — the fewest among quarterbacks with at least 500 dropbacks. Jackson tends to look for open receivers. In 2023, his average target had 4.26 yards of separation, the most in the league.

That difference in playing style could make things interesting.

Building Trust with Lamar

Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said Hopkins could give Jackson a new level of comfort.

“You’re speaking to trust,” Martin said. “[Hopkins is] a wide receiver that can play strong [with] big, strong hands that quarterbacks love. That’s a really good comfort level for a quarterback, when you can put the ball in the vicinity and trust that guy is going to make a play. So, we look forward to what that relationship is going to be like.”

Hopkins has averaged 2.54 yards of separation since 2016 — much less than what Jackson usually targets. But the veteran receiver isn’t worried about timing. In fact, he joked that no one has more experience adjusting to new quarterbacks.

Over 12 NFL seasons, Hopkins has caught passes from 19 different QBs — from Matt Schaub to Patrick Mahomes.

“I don’t think it’s a [set] time frame,” Hopkins said. “A guy like Lamar, who’s a veteran quarterback, he’s played a lot of football. Myself, I play a lot of football. We see things differently, but I’ve had rookie quarterbacks that have taken longer. So, it differs.”

So far, Hopkins and Jackson have only practiced together three times — one voluntary workout and two minicamp sessions.

A Long-Awaited Pairing

Jackson has wanted to play with Hopkins for a while. In 2023, he told the Ravens he hoped they’d bring in both Hopkins and Odell Beckham Jr. Baltimore signed Beckham, but Hopkins ended up in Tennessee. This March, he finally joined the Ravens on a one-year, $5 million deal.

At minicamp, they wasted no time making plays. On a third-down drill, Jackson fired a low pass over the middle. Hopkins slid and made a one-handed catch.

“He is different,” Jackson said. “He caught the ball so smoothly and got up [easily]. I don’t even think he put his other hand on the ground to get up; he just caught the ball and just started [running]. That’s some super vet type of stuff. It’s just dope to have him [here], and I am looking forward to throwing a lot of touchdowns to him this year.”

Proven Career, Still Plenty Left

Hopkins ranks 16th all-time with 984 catches and 21st with 12,965 receiving yards. At 33, some may think his best years are behind him. But Hopkins says he still has plenty in the tank.

To prove it, he posted an Instagram story from the second day of offseason practice, showing himself hitting 20 mph — tied for second-fastest with rookie Devontez Walker. Only cornerback Marquise Robinson ran faster at 20.2 mph.

“I’m old and can’t run,” Hopkins joked, adding a shushing emoji.

Ravens Have a Plan for Him

Hopkins doesn’t need to be the Ravens’ No. 1 option. That role belongs to Zay Flowers, while Rashod Bateman is the team’s main deep threat.

Instead, the Ravens want Hopkins to deliver in key moments — especially when Jackson needs a reliable target in traffic.

“He’s been in big games before,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s made plays in the big games. He knows how to make plays. There’s not going to be any situation that’s going to be too big for him.”

Now, the Ravens just need the Jackson-Hopkins connection to take off.