Former UNC wide receiver Devontez "Tez" Walker was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 113th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon.
Baltimore is getting a playmaker in @DevontezWalker ⚡️@Ravens 🏈 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/z2k6t9QSi4
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) April 27, 2024
Walker was among the top wide receiver prospects out of the ACC. After finally earning eligibility from the NCAA, Walker caught 41 passes for 699 yards and seven touchdowns, earning him a place on the All-ACC third team in just eight appearances.
In his lone season with the Tar Heels, Walker established himself as an explosive deep ball threat to complement quarterback Drake Maye, who was drafted 3rd overall to the New England Patriots on Thursday night. Walker's notable performances include hauling in six catches for 132 yards and three touchdowns against Miami and seven receptions for 162 yards in a thrilling double-overtime win over Duke.
However, the Charlotte native’s path to UNC — and, eventually, the NFL — wasn’t easy. Before his first game in Carolina Blue against Syracuse, the Kent State transfer was entrenched in a months-long battle with the NCAA over his eligibility.
Prior to his two-season stint at Kent State, Walker signed with East Tennessee State University but deferred his enrollment due to an ACL injury. The following season, he enrolled at N.C. Central, but the program's season was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Because of these circumstances, Walker was declared ineligible subject to the NCAA's current two-time transfer directive. But on Thursday, Oct. 5, the NCAA granted a waiver for immediate eligibility to Walker, reversing its position.
Now Walker is off to the NFL, despite the long and winding road it took to get there.
“I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play last year or not and be here in front of hundreds of scouts,” Walker said at UNC's Pro Day earlier this month. “So it feels real good to be here in this spot.”
