The Baltimore Ravens may have waited until the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to add a wide receiver to their new-look offense, but they managed to land a steal in North Carolina star Devontez Walker. Getting a clear Day 2 talent in the middle of the fourth round was a win for Eric DeCosta.
Heading into OTAs, Walker was projected to be the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart. Zay Flowers is an emerging star, struggling former first-round draft pick Rashod Bateman was just extended, and Nelson Agholor was brought back on a cheap deal.
Walker’s speed and downfield playmaking will be the key to him getting snaps as a rookie. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Walker has been one of the best performers at OTAs, showing all the skills that made him a perfect vertical field stretcher in college.
Walker beat fellow rookie fourth-round steal T.J. Tampa twice in OTAs, ending up on the receiving end of a Josh Johnson touchdown pass and a deep ball down the far sideline. Zrebiec tabbed Walker as a “promising player who will help diversify the receiving corps.” The hype train might be leaving the station.
Devontez Walker impressing at Ravens OTAs by beating T.J. Tampa
Walker has already received some fairly impressive praise from DeCosta, with the Ravens front office maestro comparing him to another mid-round deep threat in Torrey Smith. If he ends up becoming as good as Smith, Walker will be one of the best Day 3 picks Baltimore has made in years.
Walker’s lone season at North Carolina had plenty of bumps in the road, as the NCAA limiting him to nine games due to transfer related nonsense and a poor showing at the Senior Bowl may have left a bad taste in the mouths of many NFL teams. Baltimore was undeterred, and they could reap the benefits during his rookie season.
Walker is a 6-2 receiver with 4.36 speed and solid hands, making him a perfect replacement for Agholor in the immediate or long-term future. While Baltimore doesn’t always hand rookies starting roles, Agholor’s historical issues with drops could be enough to kick-start Walker blazing his way into the starting lineup.
The Ravens have enough depth at wide receiver to let Walker marinate on the bench if that’s what they want to do, but they also have a very clear path to inserting him into the starting lineup if he continues to impress.