The Baltimore Ravens got themselves a tight end. While they initially had just one fourth-round selection, the front office made a rare trade up to No. 133 overall to draft tight end Matthew Hibner out of SMU. In the move, Baltimore traded No. 154 and a 2027 sixth-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers.
Hibner is expected to come in as the go-to backup receiving option to Mark Andrews. The Ravens lost both their backup tight ends in free agency, and while they signed Durham Smythe, he’s a blocking tight end. Hibner will provide some much-needed production through the air.
For Hibner, Andrews is an awesome mentor to learn from. It’s somewhat of a full-circle moment for him, as he’s watched a ton of Andrews tape.
New Ravens TE Matt Hibner said he emulated Dallas Goedert and watched Mark Andrews "for as long as I can remember." Called Mark "incredible" and looks forward to learning from him.
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) April 25, 2026
Baltimore Ravens’ Matthew Hibner addition sets him up in ideal situation
Hibner lands in quite possibly one of the best situations for a tight end drafted on Day 3. There’s a clear opportunity for him to get in on the action; he has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Lamar Jackson throwing him the football, and there’s a great group of guys to learn from. He’s clearly excited to get to work with Andrews.
Andrews seems to have regressed over the last couple of years. However, he remains a legitimate threat in the passing game, especially given his connection with Jackson. Learning from a talented tight end like Andrews should do wonders for Hibner’s development. There are some similarities there, too. Both are solid athletes with good concentration at the catch point to produce in contested areas.
What makes it even better for Hibner is the presence of new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Doyle was a tight ends coach with the Denver Broncos from 2023 to 2024, and in his lone season as the Chicago Bears' offensive coordinator, tight ends were a key piece to the offense. He helped build a sturdy tight end duo between Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet in 2025.
As a late fourth-round pick, Hibner may not be given the most reps within Baltimore’s offense out of the gates. Other selections of Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt bring a ton of size to the wide receiver room, which could lead to a bigger focus on receivers than tight ends.
Regardless, Hibner likely becomes the TE2 on passing downs. There’s an easy path for snaps for him, and he has two great leaders in front of him in Mark Andrews and Declan Doyle.
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