Ravens 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: TE Greg Dulcich

A seam-stretcher that can tear the fabric of opposing defenses down the middle.

With the initial craze of free agency now behind us, it is time to look forward to the 2022 NFL Draft. The Baltimore Ravens currently have 10 picks, including the No. 14 overall pick — their highest since drafting All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley with the No. 6 overall pick in 2016.

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One of the team’s under-the-radar needs remaining is at tight end, where they need a complementary pass-catching threat at the position to take some pressure and attention off of First-Team All-Pro Mark Andrews.

A prospect that can fill that role, still vacant since the Ravens traded away Hayden Hurst in the 2020 offseason, is UCLA’s Greg Dulcich — who has even drawn comparisons to the former first-round pick.

After walking on at UCLA, the former Bruin earned a scholarship in the spring of his redshirt freshman year and blossomed into a potent vertical threat in Chip Kelly’s offense over the next two seasons. He led the team with 517 receiving yards in 2020 and averaged 19.9 yards per catch, finished second in 2021 with a career-high 725 receiving yards and averaged 17.3 yards per catch, and scored five touchdowns in both seasons.

Dulcich has the potential to make a big play every time he touches the ball with his blend of speed, toughness, and sneaky ability to make defenders miss in the open field. He had the occasional concentration drop in college but he possesses soft yet strong hands and is a natural pass catcher.

He is not the most polished route runner but he can gain ample separation on linebackers with speed, on defensive backs with his breaks at the top of his route, and goes up to make contested catches away from his frame.

While he is a willing blocker in the run game that tries hard to hold his own, that aspect of his game is far from his expertise. His hand placement and technique can be poor at times and he needs to stay square longer to maintain his blocks. However, all of his weaknesses as a blocker can be improved upon with time and coaching.

Dulcich may never develop into a true in-line ‘Y’ tight end, but his upside is as a big-bodied slot option or move/F tight end that can split out wide and create mismatches. He is well worth a day two pick and the Ravens have three of those, including a pair in the third round — where they landed Andrews in 2018.