The Baltimore Ravens are still waiting on first-round receiver Marquise Brown to live up to the billing, but the rookie continues to make positive strides.
Brown, who is recovering from offseason foot surgery, participated in four straight practices and got in his first session against a defense not wearing purple when the Ravens took on the Philadelphia Eagles in joint practice Monday.
Getting the rookie some work against an opposing defense is a stride in the right direction, but coach John Harbaugh noted that Brown still has a ways to go to be ready for the regular season.
"He basically practiced for the first time in a more aggressive setting, so I saw a guy that was practicing for the first time," Harbaugh said, via the Baltimore Sun. "He just needs to get accustomed to it. It's all new for him -- the speed of it, the thinking, the lining up, running the right route. He has a ways to go with all of that. I'm confident he'll get there, and we'll know what to do to use him, how to use him early in the season. But it's just great work for him."
The 5-foot-9 wideout entered the draft with dizzying speed, solid route-running ability, great feet, YAC ability and positional versatility to play the slot or outside.
Brown's rapport with Lamar Jackson might take some time to develop as the season progresses. The hope is that Thursday's third preseason tilt versus the Eagles continues the rookie's development and we see him in live action.
Brown might not come out of the gate putting up gaudy numbers given his lingering injury and the Ravens' run-heavy approach, but Baltimore is playing the long game with the receiver, betting that he'll turn out better than their last first-round wideout, Breshad Perriman.
