Clive Walford met with the Ravens, sources say

University of Miami tight end Clive Walford had a predraft meeting with the Ravens, according to NFL sources.

Walford dominated Senior Bowl practices, especially in red-zone drills. He is the second-ranked tight end in the draft, behind University of Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams. He's generally graded as a second-to-third-round draft pick.

The Ravens are in the market for a tight end due to tight end Dennis Pitta's uncertain status. Pitta has dislocated and fractured his right hip twice in the past two seasons.

Walford ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds at the NFL scouting combine during which he also bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times, had a 35-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot broad jump.

The 6-foot-4, 251-pound tight end was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and a third-team All-American last season. He was a finalist for the John Mackey award.

Walford tore his meniscus and missed the Hurricanes' bowl game.

As a junior, he started every game and caught 34 passes. He caught 25 passes for 451 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore.

Walford didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school. He averaged 13 points and 15 rebounds per game as a basketball player at Glades Central in Palm Beach, Fla.

“I have a great ability to jump,” Walford said at the combine. “In the red zone, I use my body and my jumping ability to go up over the top of defenders and grab the ball. I am the best tight end in this draft because I can block, I can catch, I can run after the catch, do everything that a tight end is expected to do.”

Walford caught 121 career passes and scored 14 touchdowns.

He had combine meetings with the Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions.

There are some questions about his consistency, though.

Walford showed he was healthy at the Senior Bowl after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right meniscus.

"It was very important because I was told that people thought I tore my medial collateral ligament, which I didn't," Walford said. "I just had a scope on my right meniscus. I just wanted to go out and show everybody that I was healthy."


(baltimoresun.com)