DRAFT ANALYSIS
Ravens position-by-position draft preview: Tight end
To this point, they’ve failed to fill it as they’ve finished as an also-ran in the free-agent bidding for Jimmy Graham, Trey Burton and Eric Ebron.
The good news for the Ravens is that this draft features a pretty impressive tight end class.
There’s no sure-fire first-round pick in the group, but Hayden Hurst, Dallas Goedert and Mike Gesicki could all come off the board anywhere from the late first to the middle of the second round.
The Ravens will have to be prepared to pounce relatively early if they want a top tight end.
The problem for the Ravens is both will probably be gone — and Gesicki could be as well — by the time they prepare to make their second-round pick. If the Ravens trade back in the first round, that could be a spot to grab a tight end, or they could try to trade up in the second — as they did to get Williams in 2015 — to make sure they get the best available player at the position.
Andrews and Thomas, a Baltimore native who fits the profile the Ravens are looking for, could be available in the third round.
Most of the draft’s top tight ends aren’t known for their blocking, but that shouldn’t be a big deal for the Ravens. Boyle and Williams are good blockers and fine as underneath targets.
The Ravens need to come out of this draft with a complement to them in the form of a fast, athletic tight end who can make plays down the field. It’s really not a question of whether the Ravens take a tight end. It’s a matter of when they turn in the card.