Ravens signing former Alabama WR Slade Bolden as UDFA
A third Alabama wide receiver from the 2022 crop is now heading to the NFL. After going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft on Saturday, Slade Bolden was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens only hours after the draft was over.
Bolden was the one to initially announce the move via Twitter.
On Thursday night, it was Jameson Williams going to the Detroit Lions at No. 12 overall. Then on Friday evening, John Metchie heard his name called by the Houston Texans at No. 44. Now, it’s Bolden’s turn, and the fit with the Ravens is an intriguing one.
At his request, Baltimore’s star receiver, Hollywood Brown, was traded to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. That surprising move left the Ravens somewhat thin at the position, and they didn’t address finding a replacement with any of their 11 selections.
Bolden doesn’t bring even remotely the same skill set as Brown, but his chances of making the roster automatically go up without the former first-round pick in the wide receiver room.
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During his career at Alabama, Bolden only had 712 yards and 4 touchdowns.
That being said, his usage over the last two seasons steadily increased, and he finished 2021 with 42 catches for 408 receiving yards and 3 scores, all of which were career-highs. The Louisiana native also returned 22 punts, averaging 6.7 yards per return, and returned five kickoffs with a 13.4-yard average.
At Alabama, Bolden was primarily a slot receiver and punt returner. More than likely, he’ll remain in the slot on the next level with more contributions on special teams, whether that’s as a return man or not.
Here’s what NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein had to say about Bolden:
Slot target who will catch and gain what is available but is unlikely to do much beyond that. 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.
Coming out of high school, Bolden wasn’t the most highly sought-after prospect.
He did have offers from other SEC schools such as LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas, but he ultimately chose Alabama. In the On3 Consensus rankings, Bolden was a three-star prospect who rated as the nation’s No. 502 overall player, No. 84 wide receiver and No. 18 player from the state of Louisiana.
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