Ravens’ best rookie sleeper to make impact in 2024 NFL season

The Baltimore Ravens came out of the 2024 NFL Draft with nine total picks. They’ll look toward this draft class with the hopes that some or all will be able to put them over the top in the AFC to return to the Super Bowl.

When you’re a team as talented as the Ravens were last season, there weren’t too many holes necessarily to fill. But then came the offseason where attrition by free agency took its toll in certain areas.

Per usual, the Ravens seemed to do pretty well for themselves in this year’s draft, hitting the needs they did need to address. Most of that came in the first two rounds with their first-round pick at No. 30 overall, defensive back Nate Wiggins, then second-rounder, offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten.

Everyone expects these rookie Ravens to make an immediate impact once the 2024 season begins in September. However, it’s those late-rounders that tend to get interesting and speculated upon, questioning how much they will really contribute to the team. But if there was one Ravens rookie sleeper, it would have to be fourth-round wide receiver pick Devontez Walker out of North Carolina.

Devontez Walker could be Ravens’ rookie sleeper to watch out for in the 2024 season

The Ravens haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2021, and even then it was tight end Mark Andrews. Granted, the way their offense is built doesn’t focus a ton on passing the ball. That was evident in that they were the No. 1 rushing team in the league last season, posting 2,661 yards.

Still, it’s not as if the passing was all that bad for the Ravens in 2023. Andrews was still there, although he did miss some time with injury. The team brought in veteran Odell Beckham Jr. as well. And their first No. 22 overall, first-round draft pick from last season, Zay Flowers, ended up having a productive season, catching 108 balls for 858 yards. But the drafting of Devontez Walker seems apparent that they still want to add to their vertical passing game.

A lot are sleeping on the North Carolina product because of the somewhat limited experience he had in college. Between Kent State and North Carolina, he played in 28 games, with only eight of those coming at the Power Five level. Walker ran into problems getting on the field for the Tar Heels that came from transfer eligibility issues due to the NCAA’s nonsensical rules.

When he finally did get on the field last season, he recorded 41 receptions for 699 yards and seven touchdowns. He racked up a lot of those yards in just a few games. In games against Miami, Virginia, and Duke, he recorded at least 130 yards or more. After his debut, he had the most receptions (nine) on passes thrown of at least 20 yards in the ACC, according to ESPN.

The No. 113 overall pick was also one of the three wide receivers at the NFL Combine to record a sub-4.4 40-yard dash and 40-inch vertical. With that kind of speed and vertical ability, he should fit in well with the Ravens’ offense and be exactly the type of wide receiver that Lamar Jackson is looking to throw deep to.

Even though the Ravens brought back Nelson Agholor on a one-year deal, Walker has all the tools to take a lot of his snaps as the season progresses. Flowers is the obvious WR1 but by the end of the season, don’t be surprised if Walker is the go-to WR3 if not WR2, the Ravens sleeper draft pick.