The Baltimore Ravens reportedly aren't expecting much production from one of their 2024 draft picks this season.
The Ravens selected wide receiver Devontez Walker in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
A 6-foot-1 receiver out of UNC, Walker is the type of big, deep-ball, and jump-ball threat that the Ravens haven't had in recent years.
However, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec, Walker is not poised to make much of an impact this season after a shaky training camp and preseason.
As Zrebiec notes, Walker battled several injuries during training camp, including an injury to his ribs. As a result, Walker saw limited action in preseason, pulling in just one catch for four yards.
According to Zrebiec, Walker also did little on special teams. Add it all up and Zrebiec predicts that Walker will likely be "a healthy scratch early in the season."
Furthermore, Zrebiec writes that Walker might not have even made the Ravens final roster if he hadn't been a fourth-round draft pick.
"Had he not been a rookie fourth-rounder — the Ravens abhor cutting draft picks — he would have had an awfully difficult time making the roster," Zrebiec wrote.
Zrebiec reports that the Ravens are still high on Walker and believe he is going to be a contributor one day. Walker played in three different college programs, and was projected to be something of a developmental project in the NFL. Wide receivers of Walker's build and athleticism don't come around often, meaning he could be worth the long-term investment.
Nonetheless, it's undeniably a slight blow to the Ravens. Baltimore is one of the best teams at drafting and developing, and after an offseason in which they lost more veteran talent than they brought in, drafting an immediate contributor —at any position — would have been helpful.
That's especially true given the Ravens wide receiver depth, as without Walker, Baltimore only has three proven receivers in Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Nelson Agholor. Bateman has just one 500-yard season under his belt (2021) and Agholor hasn't topped 500 yards since 2020.
Zrebiec's projection doesn't rule out Walker from making any impact this season — Ravens fans just shouldn't expect immediate contributions from the rookie.
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