NFL Draft: Ravens Trade Up to Pick TE Maxx Williams in the Second Round
Feb 20, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Maxx Williams catches a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
With the 55th pick in the 2015 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens have selected TE Maxx Williams from Minnesota.
Baltimore traded it’s fifth and second round picks to the Arizona Cardinals to move up three spots to number 55. In giving up a fifth round pick, the Ravens obviously coveted Williams and feel like he can immediately step in and be a contributor this season.
Steelers likely would have drafted TE Maxx Williams. Ravens obviously knew that and made the trade to get him at No. 55.
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) May 2, 2015
Williams definitely hits a huge need for the Ravens after losing Owen Daniels in free agency and with Dennis Pitta’s future still unclear. Williams has tremendous hands and can add a lot to this Ravens’ passing game, giving Joe Flacco a great security blanket. In 2014, Williams set school records for a tight end with 569 receiving yards and eight touchdowns and was named a second-team All-American.
He needs to improve his blocking, but he comes from a football background (his father played for the New York Giants) and at 6’4, 259 lbs he has the physical traits to be a force.
This marks the first time that the #Ravens have used their first two picks on offensive players since 2008, when they took Flacco and Rice
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) May 2, 2015
The Ravens have uncharacteristically gone offense back-to-back after drafting WR Breshad Perriman in the first round. They clearly needed to get some weapons for an offense that relied heavily on 35-year-old Steve Smith and 29-year-old Justin Forsett last season. Marc Trestman, hailed as an offensive genius, comes over from Chicago last year as an offensive coordinator where TE Martellus Bennett had a career year.
This is a great pick for Baltimore looking to build a dynamic offense capable of beating a team in several ways. They have seven more picks to go in the 2015 NFL draft.
After trade, #Ravens now have seven picks remaining: 3rd round (No. 90), 4th (Nos. 122, 125, 136), 5th (Nos. 171, 176) and 6th (No. 204)
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) May 2, 2015
Next: NFL Draft: Day Two Options for Ravens
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