Devontez Walker turning heads at Ravens minicamp with bold quote, big plays
By Mike Luciano
The Baltimore Ravens likely didn't draft North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to ice on the bench for the entire season. They were so entranced by his speed that they would integrate him into their vertical passing game soon.
While it is very difficult to gauge how well someone will perform in rookie minicamp due to the uncompetitive nature of the whole event, the latest quotes both from and about Walker seem to suggest that he is a confident young player ready to make his mark in the pros.
Walker, who is once again wearing the same No. 81 he wore during his Kent State days, chose his digits in honor of Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson, both of whom put up Hall of Fame numbers in those jerseys. Teams want their receivers to have confidence, and Walker has that in bunches.
Devontez Walker on why he chose number 81: “A lot of greats wore that number like Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson – so when I get to that point, hopefully, I can go down in the books with that number as well.” #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/YjMdTDZWed
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) May 5, 2024
Head coach John Harbaugh seems to be very encouraged by Walker's play in the first days of his Baltimore career. While he knew Walker was going to be "big and fast" off his college tape, Harbaugh seems pleasantly surprised with how well the Torrey Smith clone was able to change directions running routes.
John Harbaugh on WR Devontez Walker: "You knew he was going to be fast. You knew he would be big and fast. He showed that; I was impressed with how he moved in change-of-direction. I didn't know if he was going to change direction quite as well as he did the last two days. He…
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) May 4, 2024
Devontez Walker impressing at Baltimore Ravens rookie minicamp
Walker has big plans for No. 81, which has previously been worn by Ravens receivers like Michael Jackson and Anquan Boldin. Even if he plays to the level of those two, Baltimore will walk away feeling quite satisfied with their top draft choice.
Walker was regarded as a Day 2 prospect before the Draft, with his largely poor showing at the Senior Bowl and lack of film at North Carolina due to NCAA transfer nonsense weighing on his stock. What is not in doubt, however, is his potential to be a tremendous big-play receiver for the Ravens.
The Ravens will likely go into the season with Walker as the No. 4 wideout on the depth chart behind emerging star Zay Flowers, the recently extended Rashod Bateman, and veteran Nelson Agholor ahead of him. Agholor in particular should watch Walker rise up the depth chart, as Tez's skillset makes him an upgraded version,
The Ravens would be stunned if a fourth-round rookie ends up becoming their most impactful skill position addition this offseason, but it seems like Walker is off to a fantastic start in the pros. He wants to wear that No. 81 with pride.
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