OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Something quietly changed on the Baltimore Ravens' depth chart during the bye: Chris Givens is now listed as a starting wide receiver alongside Kamar Aiken.

While the depth chart in the team's weekly release is considered unofficial, this is an indication that Givens should be considered the frontrunner over Marlon Brown and Jeremy Ross in taking over Steve Smith's starting spot. Smith, Baltimore's leading receiver, suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the last game and has since been placed on injured reserve.

Chris Givens already has moved up the Ravens' depth chart and established some chemistry with Joe Flacco. AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Givens was traded on Oct. 3 from the St. Louis Rams for a conditional 2018 seventh-round pick. He has caught six receptions or 106 yards (17.7-yard average) in four games with Baltimore.

If Givens does take over for Smith, it would strike a chord with him, given his affinity for the five-time Pro Bowl player.

"People didn’t know this, but when I moved to receiver in college, Steve Smith was one of the guys that I used to watch his YouTube highlights," Givens said. "Once I got the word that I was coming here, I was ecstatic, because his game is similar to mine, and his attitude and demeanor on the field is what I try to do. I wanted to pick his brain and get an idea of why he has been successful for so long. Whatever I could pick up and add to my game, I did.”

Givens' speed complements Joe Flacco's strong arm. He is coming off his best game of the year, catching three passes for 57 yards, including a 39-yarder against the Chargers.

"Every time he has gotten in the game, he has made plays," Flacco said. "I think guys see that, guys react well to that. I think he’s becoming one of us."

It's not surprising that the Ravens would go with Givens over Brown. Givens already has as many yards receiving with Baltimore (106) as Brown even though he has played in half the number of games.

After catching 49 passes as an undrafted rookie in 2013, Brown has regressed in each of the past two seasons. He is struggling to get separation and is dropping too many passes.

As a result, he has run the second-most routes on the Ravens (231) but has only the sixth-most catches (13). That means he has receptions on only 5.6 percent of the routes run, which is the third-lowest in the NFL among receivers with at least 10 receptions.

It's evident Flacco already has more chemistry with Givens. In the last game, Flacco's 18-yard pass to Givens on a back-shoulder throw jumpstarted the winning drive.

“He’s starting to feel it a little bit,” coach John Harbaugh said. “He and Joe [Flacco] are starting to develop something, an understanding for one another.”