Denver Broncos host Damion Ratley for pre-draft visit
The Denver Broncos finished up their pre-draft visits on Wednesday, hosting Texas A&M wide receiver Damion Ratley for an official visit…
The Denver Broncos are finishing up their pre-draft visits, and among those to come in on the last day teams are allowed to host players was Texas A&M wide receiver Damion Ratley.
Ratley was overshadowed by his teammate and fellow Aggie receiver Christian Kirk, who is expected to be a very high draft pick, but he had a breakout season in 2017.
Ratley’s visit was first reported by Mike Klis, and confirmed on Ratley’s Instagram page.
Ratley got his start at Blinn Junior College in Brenham, Texas, where he was only an honorable mention All-American selection despite averaging 26.6 yards per reception with 20 touchdown catches.
He joined Texas A&M and played sparingly in 2016 before a breakout season in 2017 where he caught 30 passes for 694 yards and six touchdowns, averaging over 23 yards per catch.
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Despite his habit of making big plays, Ratley was not invited to this year’s Scouting Combine, and had to put on a show for scouts at the Texas A&M pro day.
He did just that.
Ratley checked in at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, and ran a 4.39 second 40-yard dash.
That kind of number will definitely turn heads, but Ratley went on to have a great workout and posted a 38-inch vertical jump in addition to his blazing 40-yard dash.
This kid is an exceptional athlete, but because we only have a small sample size from him, it’s likely he will be a late-round flier type of player or possibly an undrafted free agent. The Broncos have frequently brought in players for visits with an undrafted projection so they can get a leg up on recruiting.
Last year, they brought in a number of players for pre-draft visits who ended up signing undrafted free agent deals, including Jamal Carter who ended up getting the highest signing bonus of any UDFA, and ultimately made the roster.
Ratley could be the next in line.