Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta almost didn’t believe USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane when he said he could get former Ravens tight end Todd Heap on the phone.
“But I thought it was a good litmus test,” DeCosta told reporters. “And (Heap) picked up right away, and they started talking. And (Lane) said, ‘Guess where I am?’”
That was during Lane’s visit in Baltimore, less than 10 days before the NFL draft. And on Friday night, he added a newer and stronger connection to the team when the Ravens drafted him with the 80th overall pick (16th pick of the third round).
Lane is the second USC receiver selected in this year’s draft after the Philadelphia Eagles chose Makai Lemon in the first round on Thursday night.
Lane played for Red Mountain High in Arizona, where Heap’s son, Kyle, was the quarterback. Heap was also an assistant coach on the team.
“He helped me not only grow as a football player, but tenfold as a man,” Lane said in a Friday press conference. “I hope I can be half the Raven he was. Just to be around him, it’s a blessing for sure.”
Adding to the connections, Ravens wide receiver coach Prentice Gill is a former USC receivers coach who helped recruit Lane out of high school.
Gill will have the opportunity to shape Lane and his lengthy frame into an NFL-caliber “X” receiver for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Lane’s junior season included 745 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 43 catches as well as a spot on the All-Big Ten third team.
“We just think that he’s a ball of clay with a lot of upside, who has unique catching ability and unique size,” DeCosta said. “And I think that Lamar’s gonna like throwing a ball to him, and I think he’s got a chance to really make an impact on this team at some point.”
Lane is 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds and tested well in the vertical jump (40 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches) at the NFL Combine. His physical attributes caught the attention of the Ravens’ front office and scouts, but his relationship with Heap helped drive his quality of character home.
“It was great, and that does carry weight,” DeCosta said. “These guys kind of know the fabric of this place, and the culture that we have here and what’s been established. And guys like Todd were a big part of that.”
Former NFL receiver Dez Bryant also showed support for Lane on social media Friday afternoon, before the draft had even started.
“I believe Lemon had the success he had because (Ja’Kobi) Lane shared the field with him,” Bryant wrote in a post on X. “I bet a lot of Lemon’s targets came from being on the same side as Lane.”
The draft continues Saturday morning with rounds four through seven. Multiple Trojans are waiting to hear their names called, including safety Kamari Ramsey, defensive end Anthony Lucas, safety Bishop Fitzgerald and tight end Lake McRee.