Getty Ravens WR Devin Duvernay returns a punt in a regular season game on September 25, 2022.
One of the brightest stars for the Baltimore Ravens through their hot 2-1 start to the 2022 season has been wide receiver, Devin Duvernay. The third-year pro is quickly making a name for himself around the league as an impressive and explosive playmaker in two of the three phases of the game.
After making his first career Pro Bowl and All-Pro first team as a return specialist in his second season, Duvernay is finally emerging as a dangerous and well-rounded receiver that can consistently make the most of his opportunities on offense. While he has only been targeted eight times in the first three games, he has caught each of them and they all have resulted in either a fresh set of downs or a touchdown.
Even though he has only recorded 121 receiving yards thus far, his receptions have come in key situations, three of them have gone for scores, and each showcased his growth and ability to be a true difference maker. Against the New England Patriots in Week 3, he caught just two passes for 25 yards but one was an incredible four-yard touchdown catch where he went up and high-pointed the ball and came down with it in the back of the end zone after managing to get both feet down in bounds.
Get to know the name Devin Duvernay, immediately..
“Those are things that we felt like were in his skill set when we drafted him, but it takes, usually, some development in the National Football League,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a press conference on September 26, 2022. “He’s been playing ever since he got here in some capacity, but to see him kind of flourish in the last few games in this season in fulfillment of those expectations is just great.”
Best Returner In The League Already?
As impressive as his start to the season on offense has been, one could argue that he has been even more impactful on special teams as a returner. He ripped off a 43-yard punt return that in the third quarter against the Patriots that set up the drive on which he recorded his touchdown after the offense covered 44 yards in just four plays.
Devin Duvernay : 2 catches for 25 yards & a TD; 1 kick return for 25 yards & 2 punt returns for 55 yards
“I thought it was pretty good,” Harbaugh said in a post-game press conference on September 25, 2022. “He looked hemmed in, guys made some blocks, he got up the sideline. Dude continues to do it.”
Duvernay became the first player in franchise history to return the opening kickoff of a home game for a touchdown when he ran back a 103-yarder for the first points of the team’s Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins.
DEVIN DUVERNAY RETURNS THE OPENING KICKOFF! @Dev_Duv5
📺: #MIAvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/LqzAxQaA7Q
Through the first three weeks of the season, he ranks second in the league in yards per punt return (15.4), third in punt return yardage (77), and second in all-purpose yards (324). His ability to stick his foot in the ground and explode upfield, read blocks like a running back, and weave through traffic make him arguably the best returner in the league.
Not Satisfied And Still Looking To Contribute More
Duvernay is averaging career-highs across the board as a receiver and is on pace to record just under 700 receiving yards and score double-digit receiving touchdowns although his current pace of averaging a touchdown per game isn’t sustainable or realistic. He is showing much more refinement as a route runner getting in and out of his breaks and has a knack for moving the chains.
Despite a strong start to the season, Harbaugh says the 2020 third-rounder out of Texas is still relentless with his approach to training and practice as he aims to continue to get better at both his crafts and be an even bigger contributor.
“He’s just never satisfied,” he said. “That kind of mindset is what goes a long way.”