BALTIMORE, MD – July 18, 2025
He kept the receipts. Every message left on read. Every fake smile. Every voice that once said, “You’re not good enough.” Now, they all want a piece of him.
After signing his rookie deal with the Baltimore Ravens, a third-round pick with first-round ambition has found himself at the center of something bigger than football. The calls didn’t stop. The comments flooded in. Not from teammates. Not from coaches. But from old flames, childhood rivals, and people who once disappeared when his world was falling apart.
You might not know the name yet. But Devontez Walker is done being overlooked.
The Ravens drafted him No. 93 overall — a physical, big-play wide receiver out of North Carolina. But Walker’s real story began long before that. He fought the NCAA just to play college ball. He played through personal loss. And now, he’s earning every inch of ground the hard way.
"Some of them laughed when I had nothing. Now they want tickets to the game," Walker said. "I’m not angry — I’m just not the same kid anymore. Baltimore believed in me. That’s all I need."
Walker’s deal isn’t flashy on paper — not like a first-rounder’s. But his impact could be. With Odell Beckham Jr. out of the picture and Rashod Bateman still working back to form, Walker’s size, speed, and toughness could make him a key weapon for Lamar Jackson in 2025.
Coaches have already taken notice during minicamp, calling him “fearless over the middle” and “the most polished rookie WR we’ve had in years.” The path to the starting lineup isn’t a dream. It’s real. And Walker? He’s been chasing real his whole life.
"I’m not here to prove doubters wrong anymore," he said. "I’m here to prove the Ravens right."
So when he steps onto the field this fall in purple and black, don’t just see a rookie wideout. See a survivor. A fighter. A man who knows exactly what loyalty costs — and what it’s worth.
Because in Baltimore, we don’t forget who left when the lights were off.
Stay tuned to ESPN.
