OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Breshad Perriman had the most impressive offseason of any Baltimore Ravens wide receiver, which is a strong step in the right direction after an up-and-down 2016 season.

Last year, Joe Flacco only threw 66 times to Perriman (which ranked 103rd in the NFL) and connected on just half of his passes to him, the lowest success rate among Baltimore's receivers. The Ravens know they'll need more from their 2015 first-round pick in order for the NFL's No. 17 offense to improve.

How does Perriman earn Flacco's trust? "Make plays and be in the right spot," Perriman said.

Part of the problem has been out of Perriman's control. Injuries to Perriman and Flacco kept them from being on the same field for all of the 2015 season and nearly all of the 2016 training camp.

During this year's spring workouts, Perriman has taken advantage of the extended work with Flacco, making plays deep down the field, on slants and off crossing routes. He made sure he was in the right spot when running the short to intermediate routes.

"You can just see the confidence in his eyes," Flacco said. "That's the first thing. Then when you go out there, it's kind of back to how I felt probably the first couple of practices his rookie year, when he was running by people, and you can tell he had something. He's back at that level, running, and his confidence is at an all-time high. He's out there playing, man. It's exciting to see."

The Ravens took some pressure off Perriman by signing Jeremy Maclin last month. Perriman is now the No. 3 receiver and has more time to live up to the potential of being the No. 26 overall pick from two years ago.

If Perriman puts together another season like last year -- when Flacco produced a mediocre 72.5 passer rating when throwing in his direction -- the Ravens' offense won't suffer as much because he's not in a featured role. But if Perriman breaks out in 2017, it would be a bonus for a passing attack that lost Steve Smith Sr., Dennis Pitta and Kamar Aiken this offseason.

Perriman believes his chemistry with Flacco has improved "tremendously."

"I feel like we're on a great pace right now," Perriman said. "Of course, it can always be better, but right now we feel like we're in a great place."

Perriman helped the Ravens to stretch the field. His four catches on passes that traveled at least 20 yards in the air led Baltimore.

The challenge for Perriman is to become more well-rounded.

"I feel like I've been working hard on my routes -- intermediary routes, not just deep balls and stuff," Perriman said. "But I feel like it's actually coming along; it's actually showing that I've been working on it, and I'm just continuing to get better and better at it every day."