Transitioning from college to the NFL, Minnesota wide receiver and early-round NFL Draft prospect Rashod Bateman is fully aware of how important blocking is at the next level.
Coming from a mostly run-pass-option style offense at Minnesota, Bateman wasn’t often placed in situations where he had to block. Despite that, Bateman is aware it’s a necessary skill at the next level and is an area he’s focused on improving as he enters the next chapter of his career in the NFL.
That skill will be particularly important if he’s drafted by Baltimore Ravens at No. 27 overall. They ran the ball on 55 percent of their plays last season, the highest rate in the NFL.
“At Minnesota, I was OK at blocking. I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t perfect,” Bateman said on Glenn Clark Radio March 5. “Going into the league blocking is taken very seriously on all teams. I feel you’ve got to be able to run the ball. That’s an area I’ve got to get better in and I’m looking forward to it.”
However, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound wide receiver out of Fulton, Ga., prides himself on his route running ability. Strong route running is one of the most important tools a young receiver can possess entering the league, as most NFL cornerbacks are faster and more physical than the typical college corners.
“In the offseason and in the season, I work a lot on my feet, releases and break points, things like that,” Bateman said. “Just learning to be creative when it comes to route running. So, I just think one of my biggest aspects and something that I’m blessed to do is be creative and run good routes.”
That was something Bateman consistently displayed during his three years at Minnesota. He combined to catch 147 passes for 2,935 yards and 19 touchdowns during his three seasons as a Golden Gopher.
The wideout enjoyed a remarkable sophomore season in 2019, when he posted 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns as one of the best receivers in the Big Ten during Minnesota’s resurgent 11-2 season. He earned first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All America honors for his efforts.
Bateman initially opted out of the 2020 season in August, but he decided to return to the Gophers once the Big Ten announced in September that it would have a fall football season. He played in five games before opting out of the season on Nov. 25, 2020, missing the team’s final three games.
The decision for Bateman to leave his teammates and coaches early wasn’t an easy one, but it taught him a valuable lesson.
“It was one of the hardest decisions that I ever had to make in my life — leaving my team behind, opting out and things like that,” Bateman said. “So, the biggest lesson I learned is sometimes you’ve got to make tough decisions in life and I’m comfortable with that.”
Bateman is viewed as a first- or second-round pick by many draft pundits. Walter Football him as the draft’s No. 7 wide receiver overall, projected to go in the second or third round. In a loaded wide receiver class — including 2021 Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith out of Alabama — Bateman isn’t focused on his projected draft status.
“I just stay in my own lane and just put my head down and go to work,” Bateman said. “Whoever wants me, they want me, whoever don’t, they don’t. I can’t get caught up in that because at the end of the day, I still got a job to do.”
While Bateman left college early to pursue his NFL dream, the young wideout already knows that he’ll later return to Minnesota to finish his degree. His mother, LaShonda Cromer, went back to school to finish her degree, providing yet another source of inspiration for him.
“I declared early, but I know eventually I’m going to go back and get my degree because my mom did it,” Bateman said. “She showed me that it’s possible, she went back and she grinded it out.”
Now less than two months away from making his NFL dreams a reality, Bateman’s been met with a flood of emotions. Minnesota’s pro day will take place April 1.
“I’m just taking it all in, all of it’s still surreal to me,” Bateman said. “I’m just taking it one day at a time. All of this is a blessing getting closer to my dream’s day by day. Everything’s exciting, nervous, all of the emotions are running through.”
For more from Bateman, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the University of Minnesota