OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens finally turned to the offensive side of the ball with their final pick of the third round Friday night in taking Colorado State tight end Crockett Gillmore with the 99th overall selection.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound target is considered a strong receiver and turned heads at the East-West Shrine Game in January to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome acknowledged Gillmore was on their radar at that point in time despite many pundits projecting him to be a late-round selection.
“I knew Baltimore’s needs and a few other teams, and they’re all right at the end of the third round,” Gillmore said in a conference call. “It was a good opportunity to be drafted there. To have this opportunity is unbelievable. I’m very excited to be a Raven.”
Gillmore began his career as a defensive end before moving to the tight end position where he 111 passes for 1,308 yards and eight touchdowns over three seasons for the Rams. In 2013, he made 47 receptions for 577 yards and two touchdowns and was a first-team all-Mountain West selection.
In new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak’s system that relies so heavily on production from tight ends in the passing game, Gillmore will back up Dennis Pitta and Owen Daniels as he learns from two productive pass-catching veterans.
“I’ve been watching Owen since I was a little kid,” Gillmore said. “And Dennis, he played at BYU, and [with me] being a Ram, he torched us a couple times. It’s been a great opportunity for me to watch those guys as a young college guy as it is, much less in the same room with them now.”
Baltimore will conclude the draft on Saturday with two fourth-round selections (134th and 138th overall), a fifth-round pick (175th overall), and a sixth-round choice (194th overall).
