Torrey Smith looked at plenty of film this offseason, which caused him not to think about the Ravens rookie records he set in 2011.

Baltimore's lacked a deep threat receiver who can take the top off the defense for quite some time. But in year one, Smith set franchise rookie records in receptions (50), receiving yards (841) and touchdowns (seven). He went without a catch in Baltimore's first two games last year but burst onto the scene by recording three touchdowns with his first three catches of his career against St. Louis in Week 3.

Despite the accomplishments, Smith felt he didn't do enough.

"Looking back at all the plays I left out on the field, it could have been a monster season for me," Smith said.

As a rookie entering the NFL that featured no offseason due to a lockout, Smith had to learn and adapt quick last preseason. He struggled during training camp, which prompted Baltimore to bring in Lee Evans to be the team's No. 2 receiver.

But when Evans got hurt during the preseason, Smith had to raise his level of play. His struggles leveled out and he became a reliable No. 2 receiver, which included a game-winning catch to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road.

Smith's season came while playing with a sports hernia, something he had surgery on once the season ended.

"The biggest thing about the surgery is everything I was doing last year was painful," Smith said. "When it started getting cold it was terrible. I was fighting that battle every day. Now I'm able to run, and I'm getting out of my breaks and I'm not feeling any pain at all."

He added: "It was harder getting in and out of breaks. The stopping and starting — I was fine cutting and I was fine once I got going. But actually getting going and transitioning was pretty painful."

Smith spent a lot of time during the early spring running routes with quarterback Joe Flacco, even when the team didn't have scheduled workouts at the facility. He went from being as green as you can be in his first season to becoming someone rookies Deonte Thompson and Tommy Streeter are trying to learn from.

"This is a guy who comes to work every single day," coach John Harbaugh said. "All he thinks about is how he can get better. He's the most efficient improver, if that's a word, I've ever seen. He gets the most out of every day and that's why I think he's going to be a great player."

For Smith to take his game to the next level, his route tree has to improve this season. Teams know he's a threat to run the nine-route due to his speed. If Smith can add more dimensions in his play, he's going to open up a lot of room for Flacco and the offense to work in.

The offseason work has Smith feeling more comfortable. Heading into this season, Smith's looking to lead his teammates more instead of playing catch-up with the offense.

"I'm a lot more confident," Smith said. "This time last year I could barely walk and chew gum at the same time."

Follow Ravens reporter Jason Butt on Twitter: @JasonButtCBS and @CBSSportsNFLBAL.