Hayden Hurst

Nobody would blame Hurst for being impatient, considering he was 25 when he played his first NFL game, heading to Baltimore in 2018 as a first-round pick after he wiped out as a minor league baseball player and remade himself as an SEC tight end. The Ravens were fortunate enough to pick up Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews in the same draft, which meant Hurst spent his first two NFL seasons operating as the No. 3 tight end in a run-heavy offense. His big chance lies ahead in Year 3, following an offseason trade that saw the Falcons surrender a second-round pick for the TE with 4.67 speed. At 6-4, 245, Hurst figures to take over the same starting role that led Austin Hooper to 7.5 targets per game last year, considering the other candidates for playing time are 2018 UDFA Jaeden Graham and XFL star Khari Lee. Wideouts Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley could account for about 300 targets, but running back Todd Gurley is the only other proven commodity as a pass catcher, and it's not even clear he's still an asset. In any case, there should be enough volume to go around, as the combination of poor defense and solid QB play from Matt Ryan has allowed the Falcons to eclipse 4,500 team receiving yards seven times in the last eight seasons. Long story short - the opportunity is everything Hurst could have asked for.

The first-round pick missed all of September recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, then spent the rest of his rookie year playing second fiddle to fellow rookie Mark Andrews (a third-round selection) in the Baltimore passing attack. Hurst said he's back to full strength after getting a screw removed from his foot this offseason, but he'll face tough competition for snaps from Andrews and Nick Boyle. There was some thought the Ravens would let Boyle leave to open snaps for Hurst, but the team instead handed its veteran blocking specialist a three-year, $18 million contract. Given the competition for playing time as well as the run-first nature of Baltimore's offense, Hurst is staring down a tricky path to fantasy relevance. It probably doesn't help that he's unusually old for a second-year player, turning 26 before the season starts.

Some people collect trading cards, some people collect antique furniture, some people collect bottle caps or rubber bands. The Ravens, they collect tight ends. Hurst was the 25th overall pick in this year's draft, and then the club came back with Mark Andrews in the third round. Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams are also on the roster. Ozzie Newsome, are you sure you don't want to take some practice reps? Hurst is unusually old for a rookie - he turns 25 in August - and he only had three TDs on 100 catches at South Carolina. It's hard to say if the age is a feature or a bug - could Hurst be more ready in Year 1, but possess less upside down the road? Is Joe Flacco anyone's idea of a kingmaker? Can Hurst separate himself on a crowded depth chart? Is there a reason we can't stop asking rhetorical questions? Whatever the case may be, Hurst suffered a major setback late in the preseason when a stress fracture in his foot required a procedure to insert a screw. He's unlikely to be available any sooner than Week 3.