OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Fans got off buses outside the Under Armour Performance Center and were serenaded by members of Baltimore’s Marching Ravens. Persistent cheers emanated from outside the locker room, where kids flanked the ramp to see the Ravens take the practice field. Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s arrival drew the biggest roar.Yet, there was one area where the noise rose above the typical buzz from the first practice of training camp. In the far bleachers, fans cheered and chanted.The ringleader of it all was a 22-year-old rookie who hugged and high-fived his new fans and exhorted them to get louder. What? Did you expect Ja’Kobi Lane to be nervous ahead of his first practice?“I think people sometimes feel that they have to be super serious to get to where they want to be,” Lane said. “Yes, you realize that hard work, dedication and being able to maintain a consistent level and lifestyle, that does matter. But there’s too much fun to be had in this world. I’m a very big testimony of that.”Few Ravens have ever made as good a first impression. Lane’s acrobatic and seemingly effortless catches have enthralled a fan base obsessed with the idea of a dynamic homegrown receiving corps. His vibrant personality has brought energy and juice to the locker room and allowed for an immediate kinship with Jackson and the team’s offensive stars.All eyes on Ravens standout rookie receiver Ja’Kobi LaneJeff ZrebiecFrom his dancing into the building on report day to his rapping to Kodak Black at a team dinner to the live footage of him on a roller coaster last week at the Mall of America, Lane has been the star of the Ravens’ show this summer.Drafted into an organization often derided as a wide receiver graveyard, the Arizona native and former USC standout says he couldn’t imagine being in a better place.“My personality fits very well in the sense of being able to come to work and just be myself and not be worried about people trying to tell me what to do or trying to dictate how my day is going to go,” Lane said.“It’s your option to do whatever you want, but you see guys like Derrick (Henry), Lamar, Mark (Andrews), they come in every day and work as hard as they can. The proof is in the pudding. It’s just crazy to think that now I’m in this position.”For Lane, his impressive start with the Ravens is a continuation of what’s been true throughout his young life. When he’s comfortable, when he feels free to be himself, the results follow. So do the smiles.The match was obvious. The Ravens have long coveted a big-bodied receiver who makes contested catches and plays “above the rim.” Lane, who’s 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, has 10.5-inch hands and a 40-inch vertical, fits the profile. There were legitimate questions about his high-end speed and ability to play through NFL physicality, but Lane got the ultimate stamp of Baltimore approval.One of Lane’s coaches at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Ariz., was longtime NFL tight end Todd Heap, who just happens to be in the Ravens’ Ring of Honor and is one of the most respected players in franchise history. General manager Eric DeCosta had a FaceTime call with Heap during Lane’s pre-draft visit.“You don’t see a lot of kids with his talent, especially in high school,” Heap said. “Obviously, if you’re bigger, faster and stronger, you’re going to be a matchup problem. But I’ve been more impressed with how he moves his body and gets in and out of breaks. He’s really good for a guy his size in dropping his hips.”Heap quickly became a mentor to Lane, and their relationship persisted through the wide receiver’s time at USC. Heap was hard on Lane because he saw the potential. He also recognized a kid who wanted to do the right things, but was learning to balance having fun with properly honoring and preparing for an enticing athletic future.Displeased with Lane’s effort on a low throw during one practice, Heap followed the wide receiver back to the huddle and offered an ultimatum of sorts.“Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear or do you want me to tell you what you need to improve on?” Heap asked Lane.Lane’s response came quickly: “Can you keep lying to me a little bit longer?” he said. Heap and everyone else on the field broke out in laughter. That was the essence of Lane. He loves football, always has. He knows when he’s erred. But he’s never going to take it too seriously where he can’t laugh at himself. “I want him to stay young and fun-loving forever,” Heap said. “There are going to be ups and downs. It’s not going to go perfectly and smoothly. You have to be able to weather that storm. I want him to stay consistent and know that football is your livelihood and it’s extremely important, but it’s not the most important thing to who you are.”Ja’Kobi Lane has always brought his infectious personality to the football field. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Imagn Images)Lane is a product of a one-parent household. He calls his mother, Megan, his rock and clings tightly to the lessons he learned from her. She always made it clear to her son that outsiders will have opinions, both good and bad, but he only needed to worry about being comfortable in his own skin and staying true to who he was.That lesson has helped him navigate his first training camp and ignore the outside hype that surges with every catch made on the practice field.She also taught him about the importance of acceptance. Megan opened her home to foster children and Lane grew close to several of them along the way. He credits those relationships with helping him learn to communicate better with people from different walks of life.“I’ve been around kids with a lot of money, and I’ve also been around kids that are less fortunate,” Lane said. “I think it’s being able to see both sides of it and not see two different things. It’s how people live, and it’s not good, bad or indifferent. My mom never made it seem like it was a problem for everything. It was one of those things where people powered through their situation, and if you really wanted it, you would get it.”Lane had other influences in his life, too. Leo Aviles was Lane’s youth football coach who opened a lot of doors for the youngster. He’s become Lane’s guardian. Another Mesa native, Terry Brennan, also became a major advocate and source of support. Lane had former NFL players, Heap and Chase Lucas, as role models, too.“A lot of people behind the scenes,” Lane said. “The list goes on and on. It was more just being able to have people to lean on and not necessarily when things were going wrong, but also when things were going right and being able to maintain a level head.”His athletic talent was obvious. Even in high school, Lane could effortlessly pluck a ball out of the air with either hand. He would watch Odell Beckham Jr. do it online and practice it himself. He once broke his hand while playing Pop Warner football, so he taught himself to catch with his healthy hand. He then broke that hand about a week later.That’s not to say everything came easy for him, though. He didn’t become a regular contributor on the Red Mountain High football team until he was a junior. Lane’s acrobatic catches on the seven-on-seven circuit helped earn him the attention of recruiters and made him a YouTube sensation.Even when he arrived at USC as a four-star recruit, Lane didn’t immediately contribute. He had to wait his turn, and some of the Trojans’ coaches were worried they could be losing him while he did.“The notion of him not being engaged wasn’t really one of those issues,” said Dennis Simmons, Lane’s wide receiver coach at USC and also the Trojans’ assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator. “It was just a matter of him just making the transition, relearning verbiage and being detailed on his alignments and his assignments. Once he got that down, and understood it like the back of his hand, he was obviously able to step in and let his talents be showcased.”Lane’s first extensive run as a freshman for the Trojans came in the 2023 Holiday Bowl. He caught three passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns. It was his coming-out party and, as Lane saw it, only a matter of time before he’d take off.Lane was one of the draft’s more polarizing prospects. NFL Network projected him as a fourth- or fifth-round pick. Longtime NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant, meanwhile, ranked Lane as the third-best wideout in the draft. Admitting his bias, Simmons, who watched another Trojan, Makai Lemon, get selected in the first round, believed Lane was talented enough to go as early as the late first round.“When you coach someone and you’re around him for as much as we are as position coaches in colleges, you develop blinders on the outside world and what people’s perception of certain players are,” Simmons said. “But from a skill set standpoint, I saw very few, if any, receivers that were pound for pound, with the talent aspect, better than him.”Lane acknowledged that he detached himself from the draft speculation, but he didn’t lose his sense of humor. He still chuckles at the social media posts comparing his running style and route running to those of Dallas rapper BigXThaPlug.“It’s important you realize that when people are on the screen, it’s not coming from a place of ‘I genuinely feel like this,’” Lane said. “It’s just a moment of time that is really not going to matter in six months.”The Ravens were certainly glad he was available in the third round. DeCosta described Lane as a “ball of clay with a lot of upside.” However, if practice is any indication, Lane has a chance to become a key contributor immediately.He’s made a highlight-reel catch, several with one hand, on almost a per-practice basis over the past month. He also scored a touchdown in the Ravens’ preseason opener.“This guy,” Jackson said, “is different.”Ja’Kobi Lane gave a glimpse of the playmaker he can be for the Ravens in their preseason opener, finishing with three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. (Mitch Stringer / Imagn Images)Ravens offensive coordinator Declan Doyle compared Lane’s ability to make tough catches to longtime New Orleans Saints receiver Mike Thomas.“Mike Thomas had these strong hands where he could pull it down in a way, and you threw it in the vicinity, and you felt like he was going to go get it,” Doyle said. “There is a lot of that feeling (with Lane). He’s a very friendly guy to throw to.”His personality has also made him a magnet for teammates and fans. Several veterans, including Marlon Humphrey, have featured him in social media bits. Kids lining up for autographs after training camp practices have chanted his name. A recent meet-and-greet in the Baltimore area attracted a long line of fans that barely relented.His instant popularity certainly doesn’t surprise Heap, who watched Lane grow into a leader in high school. When there was something to be said at a Red Mountain pep rally, dance or athletic event, it was Lane who took the mic.Lane was always the guy who interrupted the monotony of a long practice or meeting with a comment or joke. Toward the end of one workout at USC, Lane grabbed cymbals and joined the Trojan Marching Band as it practiced nearby.“I’m just very real with myself,” Lane said. “I don’t struggle to wrap my head around simple concepts. People can love you one second and not like you the next.”Right now, everybody associated with the Ravens is loving Ja’Kobi Lane.