While no one with the Baltimore Ravens has come out and just said the quiet part out loud, the 2026 NFL draft showed everyone they aren’t very happy with what they have at wide receiver.
Consecutive picks in the 3rd round (Ja’Kobi Lane) and 4th round (Elijah Sarratt) showed as much, and it’s Sarratt who tops the list of “Immediate Impact” Day 3 picks from Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport.
“The Ravens have an unquestioned top-two at wide receiver in Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, and the team also selected Ja’Kobi Lane in Round 3,” Davenport wrote. “But Sarratt is a polished route-runner and physical presence who appears a better fit in the slot than Lane. He also showed 15 times last year that he can be a problem in the red zone. It won’t be especially surprising if Sarratt opens the season as Baltimore’s No. 3 receiver. If he leads the Ravens in touchdown catches as a rookie, it would be surprising—but don’t rule it out.”
Sarratt led the FBS with 15 receiving touchdowns in 2025 on the way to helping lead the Hoosiers to an undefeated season and the 1st national championship in program history.
Incredible Nickname for Rookie Elijah Sarratt
Sarratt earned a pretty incredible nickname in college — “Waffle House” for his ability to seemingly always be open.
“Big receiver whose competitiveness and elite catch-phase execution allow him to overcome his athletic limitations,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “While he’s nicknamed ‘Waffle House’ because he’s said to be ‘always open,’ Sarratt sees a high number of contested targets versus man coverage. He’s tight-hipped with below-average foot quickness and falls below the line as a separator. Once the throw goes up, however, he consistently beats corners with size, body control and catch-space strength to clean up. He’ll face press matchups that leave his catch column dry, but he’s built and wired for possession targets over the first two levels.”
From Zero-Star Recruit to NFL Draft Pick
Sarratt was a zero-star recruit and starred at FCS St. Francis (Pa.) as a true freshman in 2022, then transferred to James Madison in 2023, where he earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors with 82 receptions, 1,191 yards, and 9 touchdowns.
In his 2 seasons with the Hoosiers, Sarratt had 118 receptions for 1,787 yards and 23 touchdowns while helping lead Indiana to an undefeated season and CFP national championship in 2025.
“Love the Ravens getting Elijah Sarratt at 115th overall!” Yahoo Sports NFL reporter Matt Harmon wrote on X. “He looks like the perfect candidate to go from a perimeter on-ball college receiver to a condensed Z and big slot in the NFL.”
“The Ravens loading up on offense at WR,” The Ball Junkie wrote on its official X account. “Jakobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in the 3rd and 4th rounds. I was getting sick of drafting Rashod Batement in BAL stacks … so I can take shots at these guys.”
The Ravens might be inclined to give Sarratt a chance sooner rather than later. Bateman signed a 3-year, $36.75 million contract extension in June 2025 and delivered career lows across the board: 19 receptions for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns in 13 games.
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