Ebron To Visit Ravens

University of North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron is scheduled to visit the Baltimore Ravens next month.

While speaking with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on PFT Live, Ebron mentioned that he would be visiting the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers next month.

Courtesy of ICON SMI

The Ravens have already met with the 6-foot-4, 250 pound tight end at the scouting combine. This planned visit with the Ravens will be one of 30 official visits that NFL teams are allowed to have with draft prospects prior to the draft. Teams can also meet with players at the combine, the Senior Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl. All three of these events have already happened so it is down to just official visits now.

Back in January, I slotted him to the Ravens in my mock draft. The number one tight end prospect in this year’s draft, he has been compared to Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers. This comparison comes because both Ebron and Davis are physical specimens at the tight end position and have great speed.

After a good sophomore season with 40 catches for 625 yards, Ebron had a breakout season this year for the Tar Heels. He recorded 65 catches for 973 yards and four touchdowns. His best game came against the University of Miami (FL) when he had eight catches for a career-high 199 yards. In his bowl game––the Belk Bowl vs the University of Cincinnati––he impressed with seven catches for 78 yards.

His size creates major mismatches for defenses as he is too big to be covered by a defensive back, yet to fast for a linebacker. This athletic ability is what sets him apart from other tight ends in the draft. Players like this have become more and more popular in the NFL today. He has shown the ability to run a variety of routes including the popular seam route for tight ends. His blocking needs work––like almost all college tight ends––but he has potential and would be a decent blocker from the outset.

Currently, the Ravens have only one tight end under contract, Dennis Pitta––who was re-signed to a five-year contract this offseason. Pitta is a good, dependable tight end who works the middle of the field, but Ebron would add a different element to the Ravens’ passing attack.

New offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak loves to utilize two-tight end sets so Ebron would be on the field often for the Ravens despite being second on the depth chart.

Ebron would be a good fit for the Ravens’ offense and quarterback Joe Flacco would certainly appreciate having Ebron to throw to.

If Ebron is on the board when the Ravens pick with the 17th overall selection in the first round, expect him to receive heavy consideration.