
The Facts: Boykin is looking to break out. The Ravens have high expectations for their 6-4, 220-pound receiver as he prepares for his second year. Boykin caught 13 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, and he excelled as a blocking receiver in Baltimore's record-setting rushing attack. General Manager Eric DeCosta made it clear before the draft that he expects Boykin to make a jump in 2020 as a target for Lamar Jackson opposite Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. "Very, very excited about Miles," DeCosta said. "He made some big plays for us throughout the course of the year. We expect him to improve quite a bit with an offseason. He's a big, strong, fast and physical guy. Great attitude. The second year for most receivers is critical and we think he'll make a big jump."
Diehards Line:
The Ravens are still expected to be a run-heavy team in 2020, so a breakout year for Boykin cannot simply be measured by his statistics. In addition to a deep wide receiver corps also featuring Brown and Willie Snead, the Ravens drafted two wide receivers – Devin Duvernay of Texas (third round) and James Proche of SMU (sixth round). Meanwhile, Jackson also loves throwing to Pro Bowl tight end Mark Andrews and tight end Nick Boyle, and his running backs. However, the Ravens chose Boykin in the third round in 2019 out of Notre Dame with the belief he would develop into a consistent pass-catching target. He has excellent hands and is learning the nuances of running more polished routes and making greater use of his size and deceptive speed. One of Boykin's biggest plays came against the Seattle Seahawks when he got behind the defense to catch a long pass from Jackson for a 50-yard gain.