Josh Oliver could be answer to Ravens’ TE3 question

During the 2020 offseason, the Baltimore Ravens traded tight end Hayden Hurst to the Atlanta Falcons for a package that included a second-round selection. That pick ended up turning into J.K. Dobbins, but over the course of the 2020 season, Baltimore certainly felt the loss of Hurst and what he brought to the offense.

The Ravens saw a great amount of success using three-tight end sets in 2019, but with Hurst no longer in the fold and no replacement added, in 2020 the team went away from the formations. Doing so took away a key component to both Baltimore’s rushing attack and passing game, so it’s expected that they’ll go back to using three tight ends more in 2021.

While Baltimore didn’t add a veteran tight end to the roster this offseason, they did trade for a young player with plenty of potential in former Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Josh Oliver. The Ravens traded Jacksonville a conditional seventh-round selection in the 2022 draft. The conditions attached to the pick are simple. If Oliver makes Baltimore’s roster in 2022, the pick stays with the Jaguars, but if he doesn’t, the pick returns to the Ravens.

In Oliver, Baltimore is banking on potential. He was selected with the 69th overall pick in the 2019 draft, but so far he’s been plagued by injuries over the course of his NFL career. He missed the first six games of the 2019 season with a hamstring injury, returned for four games, and then and missed the rest of his rookie year after suffering a back injury. He then missed the entire 2020 season after breaking his foot in practice.

Even though his professional career has consisted of just four games and three catches for 15 yards, Oliver showed quite a bit of skill in college. He caught 98 passes for 1,067 yards and seven touchdowns over his four years at San Jose State, including 91 catches for 1,005 yards and six scores over his final two collegiate seasons.

At the 2019 scouting combine, the 6-foot-5, 249 pound tight end ran a 4.63 40-yard dash while also putting up 22 reps on the bench press and having a 34-inch vertical jump. The former third-round pick is an athlete in almost every sense of the word, and also excels at making contested catches as well as knowing how get open by finding holes in defenses.

Oliver also has impressive ball skills, as he’s able to snag the ball out of the air, even when it’s away from his frame. He has experience running a plethora of routes with the potential for his route tree to grow even more and  makes things happen in the passing game using his natural athleticism, adjusting to the ball well when it’s in flight.

New Ravens tight end Josh Oliver at the 2019 scouting combine: pic.twitter.com/jCXoQXt8Nb

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) March 17, 2021

When it comes to blocking, Oliver isn’t on the level of Nick Boyle or anything of the sort, but he shows a willingness to execute his assignments. He will need to grow a bit when it comes to his ability to block oncoming defenders, but he can work with coaches to improve that area of his game.

Despite Oliver being an intriguing player who could make some noise in a big role, he will be facing plenty of competition for the third tight end spot on the Ravens’ roster. Players like Jacob Breeland, Eli Wolf, Eric Tomlinson, and Tony Poljan will all be vying for a spot on the team.

Baltimore needs a third tight end who can be a compliment to Boyle as well as Mark Andrews, and Oliver has the potential to be that player. The third-year tight end has plenty of room to grow while also offering immediate upside, and with a strong training camp and preseason could separate himself from his competition. The Ravens traded for him for a reason, and now it’s on Oliver to show that he can indeed be the answer to Baltimore’s third-tight end question.