With more pressure apparently comes a new jersey number for Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman entering his third NFL season.
The 2015 first-round pick will wear No. 11 in 2017 after being assigned No. 18 for his first two seasons in Baltimore. Perriman donned his new jersey number in his final two seasons at Central Florida — he wore No. 81 as a freshman — but Kamar Aiken had worn No. 11 with the Ravens over the last few years before signing with Indianapolis in March.
With veteran Steve Smith retired and general manager Ozzie Newsome not doing anything to address the position so far this offseason, Perriman will be expected to fill a bigger role after catching 33 passes for 499 yards and three touchdowns in his first healthy season last year. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound receiver will need to show more consistent hands and better route-running ability to live up to expectations as the first wide receiver selected by the Ravens in the first round since 2005.
The 23-year-old missed his entire rookie season with a partially-torn PCL in his right knee and missed most of training camp last year after sustaining a partial tear in his left ACL in the spring. However, he returned in time to play in all 16 games in 2016.
Of course, you could say that Perriman leaving No. 18 behind is a good idea considering it didn’t work out too well for this guy.
