:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47647721/usa-today-8886115.0.jpg)
With veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. out for the season due to his torn Achilles tendon, the Ravens needed to figure out who could replace him. No receiver on the depth chart could match his intensity or production thus far into the season, but the Ravens needed to put someone into his spot and hopefully make an impact in the coming 7 weeks. We introduce Chris Givens to the mix.
Checking out the latest depth chart, wide receiver Chris Givens is starting at the right wide receiver position, opposite Kamar Aiken.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/4259309/WRs_week10.0.jpg)
It is interesting given that Givens was a receiver the Ravens traded for in week 4, giving the St. Louis Rams a 2018 7th-round draft pick in exchange. Since that trade, Givens has quickly gotten used to the offense and gained a reporte with quarterback Joe Flacco.
In the 4 games as a Baltimore Raven, Givens has caught 6 balls for 106 yards. If Joe Flacco was more accurate this season, Givens would have right around 160 yards on 7 receptions and a touchdown to boast about. Even without Flacco's underthrown ball, Givens averages 17.7 yards per reception at this time, putting him well above the other receivers on the team in that stat.
A former high school track star, Givens clearly has the speed that the Ravens have lacked on the outside since the departure of Torrey Smith to the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason. Actually, they are so closely matched that here are their measurables:
Torrey Smith:
| Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft | 206 lb | 4.36 s | 1.51 s | 2.50 s | 4.13 s | 6.72 s | 42 in | 10 ft 6 in | 19 reps | ||||||||||
Chris Givens:
| Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft | 203 lb | 4.41 s | 1.52 s | 2.51 s | 4.23 s | 6.97 s | 33.5 in | 9 ft 10 in | 19 reps | ||||||||||
While not exactly the second-round pick that Torrey Smith was, the Ravens get a player that matches up about as close as you could ask for, all for a 7th-round pick. I'd take that all day long if I were Ozzie Newsome.
Givens has been in the league with the Rams for 3 seasons, sliding further down the depth chart as he went along. However, a lot of that can be attributed to poor quarterback play on a team that just wasn't very good. Givens' rookie season was his best, putting up 42 receptions for 698 yards and 3 touchdowns. With a larger armed, and without question better quarterback, Givens should be able to see at least that level of production. He is already beating the yards per catch average he had in his best season in St. Louis by over a yard per catch.
Few people would look at Chris Givens as think that he will be able to replicate the success of Steve Smith Sr. or even Torrey Smith, but if given a chance like he is right now, he might surprise all of us. At 2-6, the Ravens don't really seem to be in a spot to not give shots to their young players to see who can ball.