Can Rashod Bateman finally find chemistry with Lamar Jackson? Even he isn’t sure.

One of the hardest jobs Romaz Jones has ever been tasked with is imitating Lamar Jackson.

A huge part of training Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is preparing him to play with his quarterback, but Jones was never a quarterback. And, even if he was, Jackson is one of a kind.

But Jones has found that, in a way, his inexperience at quarterback has helped Bateman.

“I think having the ability of having someone throwing the ball to him that doesn’t know how to throw the ball also teaches him that it’s not always going to be perfect,” Jones said. “It just opens him up to finding a way to get that ball into his hands.”

That’s not to say that Jackson, the reigning MVP, isn’t an able thrower. He’s one of the most agile and creative players in the league, but that means his throws can look different than those from a traditional quarterback as he escapes the pocket and buys time. And Bateman needs to catch the ball no matter the situation.

So Bateman and Jones consciously added an element of unpredictability into an otherwise disciplined offseason. It was a key ingredient for a player looking to finally break out as an NFL receiver in Jackson’s offense, especially after the team signed him to a two-year, $12.871 million contract extension.

Simply put, Bateman needs to become the sort of receiver who meshes with Lamar Jackson, and he’s still figuring out what that means.

The Ravens front office, coaches and quarterback have all spoken highly of Bateman and his role in the offense, with general manager Eric DeCosta going so far as to say he’s been “bullish” on Bateman and that the extension was a “no-brainer.”

The first game wasn’t a great indicator of what this next chapter will look like — Bateman was targeted just five times, with one of those being uncatchable, according to TruMedia — but it set some groundwork and demonstrated what more needs to happen.

Bateman has worked hard on himself to set up what the Ravens hope is a breakout season. But he alone cannot guarantee success. He must also build chemistry with his quarterback if he wants to get the ball in his hands.

Bateman’s base

Bateman first sought out Jones — a former running back at his high school in south Georgia who had started training players — when he was a high school player. Bateman already stood out for his work ethic, speed and route running ability, Jones said, but wanted more.

Bateman is a perfectionist, Jones said, so it was natural that he wanted to hone an area where he had already excelled: the route tree.

After hours of work with Jones, Bateman became a four-star recruit and was rated the 31st-best wide receiver in his class, according to 247Sports. He had 24 offers, including Georgia, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.

So it was a big deal when he visited Minnesota. Tanner Morgan, the Gophers’ quarterback at the time, listened as coaches made it clear Bateman was a key recruit and they needed to impress him. Bateman may have had status, but Morgan remembers immediately being struck by the high schooler’s friendly personality and ability to connect with people.

After Bateman signed with Minnesota, Morgan was hit with a different first impression, one of Bateman as a player.

“Our first captain’s practice in 2018, it was like ‘All right, yeah, this dude’s different,’” Morgan said. “Just watching his releases and how fluid of a route runner he was, you knew it was different.”

Bateman was named the team’s Most Outstanding Offensive Freshman. The next year, he was first-team all-conference, Big Ten Receiver of the Year and team MVP. COVID-19 disrupted his third season, but he earned a high draft grade.

In the NFL’s draft profile of him, route running came up multiple times in his list of strengths:

• “Uses a diverse set of release moves”
• “Works with crisp route stems”
• “Catches crossing routes without breaking stride”

Morgan, who was Bateman’s quarterback for the majority of his college career, explained why Bateman’s route running makes such a difference to the quarterback.

“It allows you to know where he’s going to be,” Morgan said. “You don’t have to ask what area he’s running into. You know what he’s going to do. And you know what his specific moves look like when you spend a lot of time together.”

His route running, combined with his explosiveness and ability to make the “non-routine catch,” helped Bateman make 147 catches for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns at Minnesota.

Liking what they saw, the Ravens chose Bateman with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

“He’s going to be a guy, I think, that Lamar is going to love, in terms of just him getting open out there and a lot of single coverage out there – he’s going to take advantage of that,” coach John Harbaugh said after they drafted him.

The value of chemistry

Harbaugh’s prediction has not come true as of yet. Jackson and Bateman might love each other as teammates — they speak highly of each other — but that chemistry hasn’t translated to the field consistently (Bateman ranks 10th among players drafted that year in receiving yards and is tied for 14th in touchdown receptions).

An adjustment period was expected. In addition to learning to deal with the speed of the NFL, Bateman also needed to acclimate to playing with a wildly different type of quarterback. Morgan described himself as more of a “game manager,” someone who operated within the system and got the ball out to his targets. Jackson is not that.

“He’s [Jackson’s] a freakin’ dynamic guy,” Morgan said. “He can create really well, and that creates a lot of opportunities for the receivers to get explosive plays by staying open and understanding how to work the scramble rules.”

“There’s nothing in the world that can prepare you for Lamar Jackson,” Jones said. “He’s an MVP for a reason, but going from a traditional style to that, it takes adjustment and hard work and understanding you can’t control it, so you just got to adjust to it.”

Despite the differences, Bateman had a good rookie campaign. His 46 catches for 515 yards ranked sixth among rookie receivers in 2021 in a class that featured Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Elijah Moore.

But he hasn’t eclipsed 400 yards since then.

Injuries have played a big part. Bateman played just six games in 2022 and then missed training camp ahead of the 2023 season. He came back sooner than expected, but he had missed critical time learning new coordinator Todd Monken’s offense and building reps with Jackson. Both Jones and Morgan firmly believe that, if Bateman hadn’t missed time, we wouldn’t be having a conversation about whether he was going to break out this season. He would have already done it.

Jones saw the strain the injury put on Bateman, who hated missing the time but grew as a person, the trainer said. However, while Bateman was out, new receiving threats emerged in tight end Isaiah Likely and wide receiver Zay Flowers. Jackson also had his go-to, tight end Mark Andrews, as well as a veteran star, Odell Beckham Jr. Last season, Bateman finished with the sixth-most receiving yards on the team.

He still counted the season as a success for one big reason: He proved to himself and to others that he can stay healthy.

But a deeper dive by The Baltimore Banner showed there were more successes than the stat sheet tells. According to PFF, Bateman had one of the best separation grades in the NFL. And, according to ESPN, he ranked in the top third of receivers with at least 30 targets in the open score grade, which determines how likely it is a receiver would have made a catch if he had been targeted. Bateman was also asked to run the entire route tree, which shows the Ravens see him as a versatile piece.

So why the lack of production? The Banner’s analysis determined there were several causes.

For one, Bateman was rarely Jackson’s primary option. That honor went to Flowers, the rookie whom Jackson trained with in the offseason.

When Jackson did look Bateman’s way, he did not deliver catchable balls. According to PFF, Jackson’s off-target rate when throwing to Bateman was the eighth highest in the league. That stat has worsened every season, going from 15.2% as a rookie (33 targets) to 17.9% in 2022 (28 targets) to 20% last season (55 targets).

You can get open all you want, but if you don’t have chemistry with the quarterback, that doesn’t matter.

Jones walked away from the season with a similar assessment as the Banner’s, and as a mentor, he kept preaching to Bateman that all he can do is his job.

“They haven’t successfully found a plan to get us what we need? All we can do is continue to do what we do and hope that it falls in line and the connection gets even better,” Jones said.

How to forge the bond

Outside a lab, chemistry is not always explicable. It’s either there, or it’s not. But, if Bateman wants to have success, accepting a lack of chemistry is not an option.

So how do you build a bond between two players with diametrically opposed styles, one who built his reputation on being disciplined and reliable, the other who is known for his unpredictability and ability to make the unexpected play?

“That’s a good question,” Bateman said. “But that’s a key point. Lamar’s a special player, so you just got to be able to adjust.”

For his part, Jackson said he’s expecting the connection to work this season.

“I believe he’s going to have a great year, a sneaky year,” Jackson said when asked about Bateman prior to the season. “A lot of people are sleeping on him, but I believe he’s going to have a great year.”

Morgan and Bateman’s chemistry was strong enough to help Bateman set school receiving records. Morgan said it came down to trust.

Trust is built through repetition, through the receiver proving that the quarterback can trust him. And Bateman, admittedly, does not have those reps with Jackson.

“I haven’t played with him a lot because of my injuries, so I’m learning now more about him, and he’s learning more about me, about what I’ll do on certain stuff, and I know what to expect him to do on certain stuff,” Bateman said.

With that in mind, one of Bateman’s biggest focuses this offseason was getting healthier and stronger so he’d stay healthy enough to keep stacking reps. After an entire season and training camp together, Bateman feels that building.

Bateman has also looked to Andrews for advice. Recently, he’s been talking to Likely, as well, after the younger tight end emerged as one of Jackson’s go-tos last season and in camp. Andrews famously formed chemistry with a young Jackson when the QB told him to go out and play “street ball.”

Film has played a huge role in Bateman’s career, but now, instead of just studying himself, he’s studying his quarterback, as well.

“I watch Lamar all the time, even for fun,” Bateman said. “So definitely film, watching him, seeing what he’s doing, his choice-making and decision-making, has been big for me, as well.”

It has helped that Jackson has elevated his own film study this season. Harbaugh said he sees a different urgency in the quarterback, who has been vocal about his desire to win a Super Bowl, and Bateman sees that in the increased notifications from Jackson on his phone. Workshopping in the film room was a big way he built chemistry with Morgan, as well.

“Lamar texts me sometimes about certain stuff,” Bateman said. “He’s doing a better job communicating than he has in the past, and I think all the players are cherishing that.”

Bateman returned from his offseason training regimen, which he took a greater role in planning himself, and put together a strong camp. First-round cornerback Nate Wiggins called Bateman the hardest receiver to defend.

Bateman was the clear deep-ball threat through the start of camp, although Josh Johnson was throwing him the passes because Jackson was sick. Once Jackson came back, there were still problems with communication.

But Jones’ biggest advice to Bateman when it comes to playing with Jackson is to stay mentally strong. With a clear mind, you can lock in whether the ball is coming to you or not.

And the ball didn’t go to Bateman much in the first game. He was targeted just five times. One was off target and two others would have been hard to get his hands on. But when Jackson did look to Bateman, the wide receiver did everything he needed to do to earn the quarterback’s trust.

As the Ravens hurried down the field, attempting to tie the game against the Chiefs, Jackson told Bateman to escape his defender along the sideline.

“I did what Lamar told me to do: I created separation, got up the sideline and made the catch,” Bateman said.

And what a catch it was: a 38-yarder to move the Ravens into the red zone, where they missed the chance to tie the game by a toe.

It was a connection, in a crucial moment, with both Bateman and Jackson showing what makes them special.

Chemistry? Time will tell.