Devontez Walker has spent most of his first two NFL seasons trying to make something out of very few chances. Now, with the Ravens turning over the bottom of their receiver room, he’s facing a different kind of pressure - not from a veteran blocking his path, but from two rookies trying to grab it themselves.
Baltimore didn’t bring back DeAndre Hopkins or add another established wideout this offseason, which opens the door a bit wider for Walker. But the Ravens did use the 2026 NFL Draft to add two young receivers with real momentum in camp: third-round pick Ja'Kobi Lane, who has been the standout of training camp so far, and Elijah Sarratt, the Day 3 selection who has started to surge as he’s gotten healthier.
Walker isn’t flinching.
"[I'm] just coming out here and making sure I do the things I need to do to be a part of the offense," Walker said Sunday. "I understand, [the team] brought those guys in, and they are going to be a part of what we have going on - just making sure I continue to do the things to be a part of what we are trying to accomplish."
That mindset fits the way Walker has handled his first two years in Baltimore. Targets were scarce, snaps were even scarcer, and the Ravens made it easy to project veteran names into the No. 3 receiver job.
In 2024, Nelson Agholor was back for a second season. Last year, Hopkins arrived as a five-time Pro Bowler.
Both finished second or third on the team at receiver in catches, yards, touchdowns and offensive snaps, and neither year featured much of a real battle for that spot.
Walker still found ways to matter when the ball came his way. He scored four touchdowns and picked up three first downs on six of his seven career receptions. Last season, he flashed as a deep threat, averaging 22.7 yards per catch and finishing with a career-best 136 receiving yards after logging just one catch as a rookie - a 21-yard touchdown.
This summer, he’s trying to build on that progress under first-year offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, whose new system has earned plenty of praise inside the building. Walker is one of the players who sounds fully bought in.
"I feel really good about it," Walker said. "Being here throughout the spring, [I] did not really miss a day, trying to get comfortable with it - I feel pretty comfortable with it right now. Our coaches are doing a good job with making us as comfortable as possible with it.
"I like [Doyle] a lot. [He is a] good dude, [and] he is big on bringing the offense together, being pretty tight-knit. Then, [I] also [like] the intent he has on perfecting the offense so we can hit the ground running when we get to the game."
The other veteran from last year’s receiver group, Tylan Wallace, has already moved on, signing with the Cleveland Browns and reuniting with former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Hopkins, meanwhile, hasn’t joined him on a new roster. Instead, he’s shifted into coaching for now, announcing in late July that he is not retiring from the NFL but will spend time working with wide receivers at Georgia Tech under Brent Key.
"I Haven’t retired from the @NFL … But if you're a WR and you want to be great, come to @GeorgiaTechFB"
Walker said the move caught him off guard, and he still believes Hopkins has more football left in him.
"I think he can still play," Walker said. "'D-Hop' was one of those guys who was really good for me, and I feel like every time he was out there, he made a lot of plays," Walker said.
Walker also admitted he isn’t exactly thrilled about Hopkins landing at Georgia Tech, a former ACC rival from his college days at North Carolina, though he still wants to see him back on the field.
"[I] do not love where he ended up - at Georgia Tech - but, I am happy he got that opportunity," Walker said. "Hopefully, he does get back on the field."
In Other News...
Ravens Defensive Line Could Become Baltimores Most Dangerous Strength
Baltimores defensive front is starting to look like the kind of unit that can change the shape of a game before the rest of the defense even settles in. With Nnamdi Madubuike, Calais Campbell and John Jenkins in the mix, and Travis Jones possibly ready to join them, the Ravens have a group that brings size, power and experience at multiple spots. Add the arrivals of Trey Hendrickson and Zion Young, plus new coaches Jesse Minter and Anthony Weaver on the staff, and there is a real sense that this line could become the tone-setter for the whole roster.
For a team that has spent plenty of time building around speed and versatility, the potential leap here is different because it starts with pressure and control at the point of attack. The Ravens do not just have more bodies up front now, they have more ways to rotate them, more veteran presence and a clearer path to keeping the line fresh as preseason approaches. If the health holds and the newcomers settle in quickly, this could be the unit that gives Baltimore its hardest edge. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Practice Raised A Real Question About Their Kicking Situation
The Ravens turned up the intensity in a physical preseason practice, and the early part of the session looked every bit like a team still sharpening its timing. Quarterbacks were working on varying cadence, which helped explain some of the sloppiness up front as the offense was hit with multiple false-start penalties. Lamar Jackson finished 9 of 16 in 11-on-11 work, while rookie receiver JaKobi Lane and Derrick Henry were among the most noticeable contributors in the passing and run game.
Baltimore also got several good defensive moments from Kyle Hamilton and Adisa Isaac, but the kicking operation may have been the most encouraging part of the day. Tyler Loop was perfect on the field goal attempts he was asked to handle, a useful development for a team still trying to settle that spot. For a preseason practice that mixed physicality with some uneven offensive rhythm, the most important unanswered question might not have come from the skill positions at all. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Face A New O-Line Reality Without Tyler Linderbaum
The Ravens have been forced to adjust to a new interior reality after Tyler Linderbaum left for Las Vegas, where the Raiders handed him a three-year, $81 million deal and immediately made clear why they valued him so highly. Their offensive line coach, Rick Dennison, has already talked up Linderbaums athleticism, leadership and the way he has fit into the room during training camp, a good reminder that Baltimore did not lose just a center, but a stabilizing force in the middle of the line.
For the Ravens, the bigger question is how the offense absorbs that kind of departure. Linderbaum had become one of the steadier pieces up front, and replacing that combination of movement skills and command is never simple, especially when the line is being asked to hold up the rest of the attack. Baltimore has built plenty of its identity around efficiency and physicality, so the spot where Linderbaum once anchored things is now one of the most important places to watch as the season develops. [Read more 🡒]