Devontez Walker’s story is one of the more interesting of anybody’s in this draft class, and it’s Reason No. 7,382,469 that the NCAA is utterly ridiculous. Injuries and the COVID year prevented Walker from becoming a factor early in his collegiate career, but he a good 2022 season at Kent State. Walker then wanted to transfer to North Carolina to be close to his ailing grandmother, but the NCAA denied his request. Walker threatened to sue the NCAA, and the NCAA did what most bullies do when threatened — it backed down.
With that, and despite the fact that he didn’t see action until Week 6 of the 2023 season, Walker still caught 41 passes on 66 targets for 699 yards and seven touchdowns from third-overall pick Drake Maye. The Ravens stole him with the 113th overall pick in the fourth round, and there’s no telling how much higher he would have gone with a less complicated story. But he’s an X receiver in the right system.
“With ‘Tez,’ you get really a vertical receiver, size and speed,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said. “In some ways, [he] reminds me of a Torrey Smith-type of player – an outside, take-the-top-off, vertical threat with good size, and phenomenal kid, excellent jumping ability.”
Ravens receiver Devontez Walker beat the NCAA, and then, he got on the field and beat cornerbacks on vertical contested catches over and over. Needs some route polish, but he's a third-level hammer right away. pic.twitter.com/ZYmeXblHUd
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 1, 2024
