What to expect from Hayden Hurst in 2018

With their first selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Ravens filled a towering need at tight end when they selected Hayden Hurst out of South Carolina 25th overall.

Hurst was arguably the best and most complete tight end in this year’s draft class – and Ozzie Newsome and the Ravens thought so as well.

After trading back twice to improve their draft capital the Ravens selected the tight end they had their eye on the whole time. Having a true pass catching threat from both the in-line and slot positions is an area that the Ravens have lacked tremendously since the loss of Dennis Pitta.

Nonetheless, Benjamin Watson, who signed this offseason as a free agent with the Saints, led the Ravens last year in Receptions (61) and was second in receiving yards (522); so it’s obvious there was a hole to be filled.

Hurst is more than capable of filling that role. At South Carolina, he ran every route on the route tree and was called upon time in and time out for the Gamecocks, on third down especially. Hurst was second in receptions and receiving yards in both of his years as a starter, so he’s proven to be dependable in a high-volume role.

What’re the Ravens getting? What should they expect?

A mismatch nightmare. At 6’4″, 250 pounds, Hurst can not only block, but he can catch and run with the best of ’em as well. I’d expect that he competes for and ultimately wins the battle for No. 1 tight end during training camp.

The question of how much productivity Hurst will have is a tough one to answer, however, as the Ravens spent the second of two third-round draft picks on Oklahoma tight end Mark Andrews. Andrews, who caught 31 passes for 489 yards and seven touchdowns last season is a lethal red-zone threat at 6’5″, 256 pounds.

The Andrews draft pick was tremendous value for the Ravens as they can now say they have a genuine two-headed monster at tight end. Arguably their biggest weakness has turned into a youthful, dominant strength with plenty of optimism for this team heading into 2018.

The addition of Andrews could hamper the statistical production of Hurst, though. I still expect Hurst to be productive throughout the year and act as Flacco’s safety blanket, especially on third down.

Look for Hurst and Andrews to take this offense to the next level, and have exceptional rookie seasons respectively.

Next: Baltimore Ravens: 5 takeaways from the 2018 NFL Draft

Season Projection

45 Receptions, 400+ Yards, 5 TD’s