Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright went into the pre-draft process as a prospect likely to get taken as a top-20 pick.

But then he ran a disappointing 40-yard dash (4.61 seconds) at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, and suddenly some draft experts think he might slip to the end of the first round and possibly even into the second.



That could be good news for the Ravens, who have the 29th pick and are looking to upgrade at receiver and met with Wright at the combine.

“If Kendal Wright is there, he would be tough to pass up for Baltimore,” ESPN Draft expert Mel Kiper said on a national conference call last week.

Unlike some of the other top wide receiver prospects in this year’s class, Wright (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) is a smaller build, most often compared to Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson.

It’s a comparison Wright has no problem with.

“I guess we’re both small and very explosive,” Wright said at the combine. “That’s why I like his game and [Carolina Panthers receiver] Steve Smith. They play fearless and explosive at all times.”

As a smaller receiver, Wright’s game at Baylor was built around his speed and ability to get open, which made his 40 time at the combine surprising. He was expected to run in the 4.4-second range.

Kiper, however, said that some teams will look past the combine time because Wright has much better times on record and he showed breakaway speed during his senior season.

As the top target for Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III, Wright caught 108 passes for 1,663 yards and 14 touchdowns. The impressive stats put Wright on the radar for many NFL teams, even though he isn’t as big as some of the top prospects like Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd or Stephen Hill.

Wright says what he lacks in size, he compensates for in other areas.

“I have other attributes besides height that makes up for it,” he said. “I can jump really high, I can run really fast, I accelerate. I can do a lot of things.”

If he were to get drafted by Baltimore, Wright could likely be a complementary piece to current receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Adding him to the mix would fill out the top three receiver spots – the Ravens cut last year’s No. 3 receiver Lee Evans – and give the team three top receivers that all bring a different skill set to the offense.

Whether Wright is available when the Ravens draft in the first round depends on if NFL scouts think he has speed better than what he showed at the combine, and whether that speed is enough to make up for his size.

He also has a pro day coming up on March 21, which could be another opportunity to show scouts that he is worthy of a first-round selection.