DeAndre Hopkins has been to seemingly every corner of the AFC. From the Houston Texans to the Tennessee Titans, the Kansas City Chiefs (in no particular order), and now the Baltimore Ravens, there are few rocks the wide receiver has not looked under in the NFL.
Of course, Hopkins might be the first to agree that it isn’t 2015 anymore, and he will need to work hard to win over his new team. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has worked with plenty of older veterans in his career, so he knows what to look for. Harbaugh has given his first impressions of the wide receiver.
John Harbaugh Delivers Expectations for DeAndre Hopkins
Speaking after a May 28 practice in an article posted on the official Ravens website, the head coach gave his impressions of Hopkins, spelling out what he expected from him.
“First of all, I think he’s a heck of a football player,” Harbaugh said. “Obviously, you saw him today. He’s a gifted guy. He’s a talented guy. He’s going to be a big-body, contested-catch receiver for us, certainly.”
Been waiting on this moment to see @DeAndreHopkins in a Ravens jersey 😈 pic.twitter.com/NUvEJA4g20
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) May 27, 2025
He went on, explaining how well Hopkins was working with Lamar Jackson.
“He’s moving great. Plus, he brings all that experience. He’s been in big games before. He’s made plays in the big games. He knows how to make plays. There’s not going to be any situation that’s going to be too big for him, but I just thought he and Lamar [Jackson] looked really good today out there together. It was nice to see.”
Of course, OTAs are a very different environment from a fan-packed stadium in a tense situation late in December. In that regard, nothing can be predicted about how well the wide receiver will work then. However, for now, he appears to be hitting the benchmarks.
Hopkins Faces Uphill Battle To Climb Depth Chart, but It’s Not Impossible
It might not be 2015 anymore, but Hopkins’ time in the NFL isn’t over yet. He appears to have reached the journeyman stage of his career, but he might have an opportunity to slide in as the second-string wide receiver for the Ravens.
Currently, the favorite to slide in behind Zay Flowers at the top of the depth chart is Rashod Bateman. However, he has hit slumps before, finishing with fewer than 400 yards twice since the start of the 2022 season.
Hopkins has finished with more than 600 yards in each of his last two seasons. If he can keep the same pace, he has a shot to overtake Bateman, which could set him up for a multi-year run with Jackson.
Of course, it won’t be easy, with Bateman coming off a career-best 756 yards in 2024.
Will Hopkins stick around with the Ravens into 2026?