The Baltimore Ravens are expected to look like a much different and hopefully better team in 2026. After hiring head coach Jesse Minter, they’ve been making a lot of changes, and the starting units on offense and defense should look a lot different.
While all the focus is on additions like Trey Hendrickson, Jaylinn Hawkins, and Vega Ioane, there are players from last year’s roster who could be knocking on the door for bigger opportunities. Many guys were stuck in John Harbaugh’s doghouse, and may be staring down the chance to break out under Minter.
Among the breakout candidates is wide receiver Devontez Walker. Sure, the Ravens drafted two wideouts in Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Walker has flashed enough to warrant starting reps. He could even challenge Rashod Bateman for snaps, who was perhaps the team’s most disappointing starter last season.
Baltimore Ravens must let Devontez Walker challenge Rashod Bateman for snaps
Rashod Bateman is going to get every chance to return to form in 2026. Baltimore simply invested too much in him to take him off the field. The 26-year-old signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract extension last offseason. However, if they want to have the best impact player on the field, that might just be Devontez Walker.
Comparing the two from 2025, Walker made better use of his opportunities on far fewer snaps. Bateman posted a career-worst campaign with 19 receptions, 224 yards, and two touchdowns. Walker, on the other hand, tallied just six receptions, but went for 136 yards and three touchdowns on those catches. Walker did that in almost 500 fewer snaps.
It’s clear that Walker has the potential to be the offense's deep threat of the future. The Ravens desperately missed that last year, and although the terrible offensive line play was a leading factor in those splash plays not being made, Walker was simply a much greater playmaking threat than Bateman. He deserves to at least cut into Bateman’s snap share a little bit.
Ultimately, with Lane and Sarratt coming to Charm City, the depth chart at wide receiver is getting crowded. That could be bad news for Walker, who struggled to earn consistent playing time with the last coaching staff and now has to impress a new coaching staff. The North Carolina product’s big-play ability is way too good to ignore, though. And if he continues to earn more reps and Bateman continues to regress, it could be Walker’s time to shine.
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