There's little ambiguity as the who the Baltimore Ravens' top three wide receivers are entering the 2024 season -- Zay Flowers at No. 1, Rashod Bateman at No. 2, and Nelson Agholor at No. 3. Devontez Walker, the speedy fourth-round rookie with big-play ability, will be in position to earn notable snaps this summer, and his size and speed combination adds diversity to the team's receiver corps. The fifth spot will likely be decided by whoever wins the return competition on special teams. Deonte Harty is a former Pro Bowl returner, while Tylan Wallace did a nice job returning punts in 2023. The 22-year-old Walker led North Carolina in touchdowns in just eight games last year and is an intriguing addition to this offense, but he'll be off the fantasy radar in single-year leagues in 2024 unless an injury to one of the wideouts in front of him opens up a bigger role.
The Baltimore Ravens selected North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker with the No. 113 overall pick on Saturday in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft. Walker was highly productive at Kent State before eventually transferring to play for the Tar Heels and with quarterback Drake Maye, who went third overall to the Patriots in the first round on Thursday. The 22-year-old ended up playing in only eight games in 2023, but he still led the team in touchdowns. His 4.36-second 40-yard dash speed will make him a threat deep down the field at the NFL level, although he's unlikely to make a big impact right away for a run-first Ravens team that already has receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman as their top two options, not to mention tight end Mark Andrews.
North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker had an up-and-down Senior Bowl last week but then ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash and opened eyes in both the vertical jump (40.5 inches) and broad jump (11-foot-2). He had a few drops while catching passes from quarterback Drake Maye at their Pro Day on Thursday, but he seemed to get better the deeper the passes were. "Definitely speed," Walker said when asked what his superpower was. "Being able to win vertically, throw it over any defense -- I take pride in that. I feel like I can win a foot race with anybody, so I try to make everything a foot race." Walker still has plenty of things to work on as he transitions to the next level in the NFL, but his speed alone could eventually make him intriguing as a deep threat in fantasy.
