The Ravens have traded an undisclosed 2022 draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for third-year tight end Josh Oliver.
According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Jacksonville will receive a seventh-round pick from the Ravens if Oliver makes the roster this year.
Oliver was a third-round pick (69th overall) by Jacksonville in 2019 out of San Jose State, but has been plagued by injuries. He missed 12 games with injuries to his back and hamstring as a rookie, then he missed all of last season with a broken bone in his foot that required surgery. In two years, Oliver has played just four games, with three catches for 15 yards.
The Ravens will hope the 23-year-old Oliver can stay healthy and return to the form he showed during his four-year career at San Jose State, where he had 98 catches for 1,067 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Oliver displayed nice hands at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine.
Baltimore has two proven tight ends in Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle, and Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard can also play tight end. The Ravens also re-signed tight end Eric Tomlinson this offseason.
Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman loves using multiple tight end sets, and the Ravens used them very effectively in with Andrews, Boyle, and Hayden Hurst before Hurst was traded to the Atlanta Falcons following the 2019 season.
Oliver will compete with Tomlinson, Jake Breeland, and Eli Wolf behind Andrews and Boyle. According to Head Coach John Harbaugh, Boyle is recovering well from season-ending knee surgery and is on track to be ready for training camp, if not before.
