First things first……I love this pick. I don’t care if he’s 25 years old. I don’t care if he played minor league baseball. Hayden Hurst is a stud and he will quickly become Joe Flacco’s favorite weapon. He was lost when Dennis Pitta wasn’t on the field and now he has a big target back in the middle of the field to move the chains and get open in the redzone.

Hurst is a mismatch nightmare…….he’s too big for safeties to cover and too fast for linebackers. He isn’t the best blocker but that’s not why the Ravens drafted him. They drafted him to catch touchdowns. Hurst not only has reliable hands and when you watch tape on him he just seems to see the ball very well in the air and adjusts accordingly.

Here’s a great article from Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei about Hayden Hurst’s journey to the NFL.

Measureables:

40 Yard Dash: 4.67 seconds 40 Yard (MPH): 17.52 (MPH) 20 Yard Dash: 2.71 seconds 10 Yard Dash: 1.63 seconds Weight: 250 pounds Height: 6’5″ Age: Turns 25 on August 24th

Twitter Handle:

@haydenrhurst

Ravens 1st round pick TE Hayden Hurst will receive a 4-year deal (which includes the standard 5th yr option) worth a total of ~$11.08M, with a signing bonus of ~$6.1M and a 2018 Cap number of ~$2.013M. — Brian McFarland (@RavensSalaryCap) April 27, 2018

Vintage. Ozzie. Newsome. Trades down twice & selects a player at a position of need who is of far more value at 25 than at 16. Calculated reaction & grade to come later… after I've had time to process the whole night.#Ravens #NFLDraft #RavensFlock #NFLDraft18 — Matt Wise (@TheMattWise) April 27, 2018

Depth Chart Update:

Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams will be back in 2018 but neither have proven to be reliable during their time in Baltimore. Boyle has been suspended several times and Maxx Williams is always hurt. Hurst will be the starter from day one.