DeAndre Hopkins will probably find himself in the NFL Hall of Fame once his playing days are done. He’s 16 catches away from becoming the 16th player in league history to reach 1,000 career receptions. His 12,965 receiving yards rank 21st all-time. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro selection has nothing left to prove on the gridiron.
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Despite that fact, Hopkins’ resume isn’t fully complete. He, like Davante Adams, has never won a Super Bowl. Hopkins finally played in the big game last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, but didn’t capture his elusive championship. Going forward, he’ll be prioritizing his chances for the Lombardi Trophy over his individual production and paycheck. His one-year, $5 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens proves it.
Baltimore’s 2024 offense was one of the most dynamic and efficient that the NFL has ever seen. The unit, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, averaged the second-most yards per play in league history. Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely all project to have larger roles than Hopkins in 2025. He joined the Ravens anyway.
While Hopkins won’t be the center-point of Baltimore’s attack, he will still play a valuable role. Ravens Rundown’s Joey Peterson explained how. Peterson says he – and the organization – are “confident” Flowers is their WR1, and that Bateman is their WR2. However, there was no bonafide WR3 on the roster. Hopkins fills that void.
“Everything outside [of Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman]… I just kept thinking to myself, ‘you’re not a wide receiver three’… [Hopkins is] only one year removed from… [receiving] a thousand yards for Tennessee.” – Joey Peterson, Ravens Rundown
Peterson described Hopkins as Jackson’s “first true deep threat.” Bateman, who posted 16.8 yards per reception (7th-best in NFL) and 10.5 yards per target (9th-most in NFL) last season, would disagree with that characterization. Regardless, Hopkins stabilizes Baltimore’s receiving corps.
DeAndre Hopkins gives Lamar Jackson “sure hands”
In 2023, the Ravens had Odell Beckham Jr. operate as their de facto deep threat. He saw only 61 targets in 14 games, but averaged 16.1 yards per reception. Bateman, working his way back from injury, functioned as the WR3 alongside Nelson Agholor. They combined for 67 catches, 748 yards (11.2 yards per reception) and five touchdowns.
Last season, Bateman slid into Beckham Jr.’s old role and flourished. He’s a former first-round pick who’s finally hitting his stride at age-25. Making him drop back down in the pecking order to hope Hopkins can provide the same production would be foolish.
As a result, Hopkins is more likely to inherit the role Bateman and Agholor split two seasons ago. He’ll find soft spots in zone defenses and be a reliable chain-moving option, whether lined up in the slot or outside. And if the Ravens deal with injuries at the position, he’s still spry enough to handle a larger role. He just won’t be asked to do so regularly.
To Peterson, “reliable” is the operative term. Hopkins has dropped just 20 of 850 targets (2.4% drop rate) in his career. Flowers (4.5%) and Bateman (6.3%) let passes hit the turf much more frequently. This gives Jackson another weapon he can trust in late-game, red zone situations.
“You’ve got the really elusive, quick, fast wide receiver. In fact, you’ve got two of them… you just needed the guy that has sure hands, that can go up [and] high point the football… and now you’ve got him,” Peterson explained.
Jackson’s only mission, like Hopkins’, is to win the Super Bowl. Neither of them managed to do so separately. Now, they’re hoping their combined might will get them there in 2025.
