Baltimore Ravens: Should they target Maxx Williams?

The Baltimore Ravens have a pressing need at tight end following the departure of Owen Daniels.

Should they target Minnesota’s Maxx Williams in the first round?

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Williams is the prototypical size for a tight end at 6’4″ and 249 pounds. He has good hands and the ability to hurt defenses with the deep ball–something the Ravens will lack without receiver Torrey Smith.

In 2014, Williams caught 36 passes for 569 yards and eight touchdowns. His longest reception was 54 yards, and he averaged 15.8 yards per catch.

Spielman on Maxx Williams: "Continues to improve as a run blocker, so he’s going to have I believe a very productive career in the NFL."
— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) March 2, 2015

Williams has the potential to become one of the best tight ends in the NFL. He has good athleticism and straight line speed to hurt defenses after the catch. This is a dangerous asset to have with quarterback Joe Flacco in the Ravens’ offense.

Another strong point of Williams’ game is that he is exceptional in the red zone. The Ravens scored a touchdown on 54.93 percent of trips to the red zone in 2014, which ranked 13th in the NFL according to TeamRankings.com. With the loss of Daniels and Smith and with doubts over the health of Dennis Pitta, the Ravens would benefit greatly from the mismatches Williams creates.

Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com ranks Williams as the best tight end in this year’s class. He wrote:

"“Not many redshirt sophomores declare for the NFL draft, but Williams made a wise decision to do so as he is the favorite to be the first tight end selected. Williams has good size, natural receiving skills, athleticism and spee. Williams also has some blocking potential. He recorded 36 passes for 569 yards with eight touchdowns during the regular season. He was capable of a lot more production for the Gophers, as he is a real mismatch weapon, but they had a run-based offense.”"

There is a lot of potential with Williams at pro-level, although there are some areas of his game that he needs to work on.

He needs to get better at route-running to be able to gain separation in the NFL. While he has good size, Williams could do with adding some weight to improve his blocking ability, while also helping him sustain big hits in the middle of the field. As for the route-running, this is an area that can be taught and worked on in the Ravens system.

Jan 1, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Maxx Williams (88) celebrates his touchdown during the second half in the 2015 Citrus Bowl against the Missouri Tigers at Florida Citrus Bowl. Missouri wins 33-17 over Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The Ravens certainly seem open to the idea of adding a tight end in the first round. Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reported that they had spoken to a number of the top tight end prospects, including Williams:

"“The Ravens are dealing with some uncertainty at the tight end position because starter Owen Daniels is a free agent and Dennis Pitta’s career is in doubt because of a recurring hip problem.So, the team is exploring its options at the position in the NFL draft. The Ravens have met with Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams and Miami tight end Clive Walford at the NFL scouting combine.”"

While the Ravens do have needs at wide receiver and cornerback, as well as needing to find a replacement for defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, Williams could be an ideal option for them with the 26th-overall pick.

They can address the need at wide receiver in the following few rounds and still pick up good talent. There is a deep pool at the position, and barring the unlikely scenario in which either Amari Cooper, DeVante Parker or Kevin White is available to them, they should avoid selecting a wideout in the first round.

However, the Ravens may want to pick up a cornerback. There a number of potential first round players at the position. Trae Waynes will likely be gone but Marcus Peters and Kevin Johnson may still be available should general manager Ozzie Newsome go in that direction.

		Receiving	Rushing	Scrimmage
Year	School	Pos	G	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
2013	Minnesota	TE	13	25	417	16.7	5	1	7	7.0	0	26	424	16.3	5
2014	Minnesota	TE	12	36	569	15.8	8	0	0		0	36	569	15.8	8
Career	Minnesota			61	986	16.2	13	1	7	7.0	0	62	993	16.0	13

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CFB: View Original Table
Generated 3/17/2015.

Regardless, if Williams falls to the Ravens with the 26th-overall selection of the 2015 NFL Draft, they should seriously consider picking him up. He has the talent to become a contributor from day one on offense, and with a depleted group of pass-catchers now on the roster, Williams would be an ideal fit.

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