The Ravens want to build an "undefendable" offense, and they took another step in that direction by adding big-time speed and production at wide receiver. Baltimore drafted Texas wide receiver Devin Duvernay in the third round with pick No. 92 overall.
Duvernay caught 106 passes for 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns during his senior season, earning first team All-Big 12 honors. It was the fifth-most receiving yards in the country last season.
The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder excelled in the slot and has a good chance to fill the same role in Baltimore, helping up the field for Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and others on the outside.
General Manager Eric DeCosta said Duvernay was one of his "very favorite guys this year in the draft."
Cameras caught Head Coach John Harbaugh letting out a big fist pump from his couch when it was clear that the Ravens would get Duvernay. Baltimore was worried that the New England Patriots, who traded right in front of Baltimore, was going to take him, but they took a tight end.
"[When] our guy was there, I was pretty fired up about it," Harbaugh said. "The No. 1 priority for us was to get a fast guy. Just wanted to get another fast guy in the offense, a speed guy. … This is the guy we were looking to get for a while and I'm glad it worked out."
Like Brown, who the Ravens drafted in the first round last year, Duvernay is a speed demon. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was the 2015 100-meter Texas state champion.
Not only does Duvernay have speed, but he also has extremely reliable hands. He dropped one pass during his entire career at Texas, which featured 176 catches over four years.
DeCosta elaborated on why Duvernay was one of his favorite prospects, especially at wide receiver.
"I just like Devin's competitive streak and his nature. He's a tough guy," DeCosta said. "He reminds me of a few guys we've had here in Baltimore, and I'll reference guys like Anquan [Boldin], and Derrick Mason and of course Steve Smith. Those guys all had a competitive spirit about them that made them stand out. … I like those competitive guys that don't go down. He's got that style to him."
Duvernay is also a kick returner, which the Ravens needed heading into 2020. He averaged 21.2 yards per kick return over his career.
Duvernay is a cousin of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. Duvernay's twin brother, Donovan, also played at Texas, though as a defensive back.
