Slade Bolden showing off improved speed with Baltimore Ravens
Slade Bolden has found another gear in his engine with the Baltimore Ravens.
While the speed of the former Alabama product was criticized coming out of Tuscaloosa, Bolden’s wheels haven’t been a problem in the NFL. Check out a clip posted to Twitter of Bolden showing off some newfound wheels with the Ravens.
If Bolden can prove his speed isn’t a mirage, he has some serious sticking potential. With the loss of Marquise Brown for the Ravens, the franchise will be looking for someone to replace his production. Perhaps the former Alabama star could be one of the beneficiaries.
Moreover, Bolden had the best season of his college career in 2021, finishing with 42 catches for 408 yards and a touchdown. He saw an increased role in the College Football Playoff Championship against Georgia after Jameson Williams went down with injury, finishing with 44 yards on a team-high seven catches.
A three-star prospect in the 2018 class, Bolden ranked as the No. 94 receiver and No. 502 overall player according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He chose to attend Alabama over offers form LSU, Tennessee and TCU among others.
While Slade Bolden had a successful career at Alabama, his next chapter in the NFL could be just as great if his speed holds true.
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More on Slade Bolden, Baltimore Ravens
As good of a route runner as he is, Bolden doesn’t have the speed or athleticism to make the plays as some of the other receiver prospects from the draft — at least that’s what the groupthink earlier this year. NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein noted this in his analysis of the Alabama product, and it’s likely the reason Bolden went undrafted in the first place.
“Slot target who will catch and gain what is available but is unlikely to do much beyond that,” Zierlein wrote. “Bolden has adequate quickness for the Alabama scheme but isn’t an explosive separator. He has the hands and toughness to work in the middle of the field but will see diminishing catch windows the further he gets from the line of scrimmage.
“He doesn’t have the speed or catch radius to help inaccurate passers and he doesn’t appear to have enough talent to shine outside of the Alabama juggernaut.”
On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this article.