Updated May 29, 2026, 12:25 p.m. ET

The Baltimore Ravens have never had a receiver reach 1,500 receiving yards in a single season. According to analyst Gordon McGuinness, that could change in 2026. McGuinness outlined why he believes Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers could join an exclusive group that included only a handful of NFL pass catchers last season.

The key, according to McGuinness, is Baltimore’s new offensive structure under first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The video transcripts are highlighted by Kevin Eck on the Ravens’ official team website.

“Declan Doyle’s previous two spots saw him work under Sean Payton and Ben Johnson,” McGuinness said. “In 2024 in Denver, Courtland Sutton saw 65 more targets than any other player on the Broncos offense. That same season in Detroit when Ben Johnson was the offensive coordinator, Amon-Ra St. Brown saw 50 more targets than any other player on that Lions offense.

“The coaches he has learned from have been more than happy to funnel an offense through one particular player if necessary, and I think that can be the case potentially in Baltimore in 2026. I think the Ravens play faster. I think they throw the ball at a higher rate in 2026, which means more targets in the offense anyway. If they do that, I think a 1,400-, 1,500-yard season is well within reach for Zay Flowers.”

Flowers enters his fourth NFL season coming off the most productive campaign of his career.

After posting 858 receiving yards as a rookie in 2023, Flowers surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 before taking another significant step forward last season. The former first-round pick finished with 1,211 receiving yards and earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection while establishing himself as Baltimore’s clear No. 1 receiving option.

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His growth has mirrored the Ravens’ increasing trust in him.

Last season, Flowers finished with nine more targets than Mark Andrews and DeAndre Hopkins, Baltimore’s next-most-targeted receivers, combined. The gap illustrated just how heavily Lamar Jackson and the offense already leaned on the dynamic wideout. The question now becomes whether that target share can increase even further.

History suggests Doyle may be willing to build the offense around a featured receiver. Johnson’s Detroit offenses consistently prioritized Amon-Ra St. Brown, helping him become one of the league’s most productive pass catchers. In Denver, Sutton operated as the unquestioned focal point of the passing attack under Payton’s system. If Doyle incorporates similar principles in Baltimore, Flowers could be positioned for another significant statistical jump.

The challenge, however, should not be understated.

A 1,500-yard receiving season remains one of the NFL’s most difficult accomplishments. The benchmark has become increasingly rare despite the league’s emphasis on passing offense. There have not been more than three receivers to eclipse 1,500 yards in a single season since 2015, placing the achievement among the sport’s most exclusive milestones. Flowers would also be attempting something no Ravens receiver has accomplished despite the franchise’s long history and recent offensive success. The good news for Baltimore is that Flowers has shown consistent year-over-year improvement.

His receiving totals have increased from 858 yards to 1,059 yards to 1,211 yards over his first three seasons. Another leap of similar magnitude would place him firmly within the conversation alongside the NFL’s elite receivers.

It would also reflect a broader philosophical shift for the Ravens.

Under head coach Jesse Minter, Baltimore enters 2026 looking to maximize an offense led by Jackson and supported by one of the league’s deepest collections of skill-position talent. If Doyle increases the team’s pace and passing volume as McGuinness projects, Flowers could become the primary beneficiary. Whether he reaches 1,500 yards remains to be seen.

But after three straight seasons of growth, two Pro Bowl selections, and an increasingly prominent role in Baltimore’s offense, Flowers appears positioned to challenge some of the most significant receiving records in franchise history.

If McGuinness is correct, the Ravens may finally have a receiver capable of reaching a milestone that has long seemed out of reach in Baltimore.