Ryan Mink
The Ravens double-dipped at tight end on Day 3, drafting Josh Cuevas out of Alabama in the fifth round with pick No. 173.
Baltimore previously selected Matt Hibner out of SMU in the fourth round.
Here are five things to know about Cuevas:
He's versatile.
Cuevas can be lined up in multiple spots in the Ravens offense, which will help them offset the losses of Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar in free agency.
He played 54% of his snaps inline in Alabama Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb's RPO-based downfield attack. Cuevas also lined up some as a fullback and lead blocker.
With Patrick Ricard departing in free agency and the Ravens transitioning out of deploying a traditional fullback, Cuevas can have a hybrid role in new Offensive Coordinator Declan Doyle's offense.
The Ravens signed veteran Durham Smythe from Chicago to help fill that role as well, and he can help groom Cuevas.
Cuevas said he only had two informal meetings with the Ravens before the draft and didn't expect them to draft him. He said new Ravens Tight Ends Coach Zack Grossi said Cuevas and Hibner will both have versatile roles.
The Ravens continued their history of tight end double-dips.
This is the fifth time in franchise history that the Ravens have drafted two tight ends in the same class, and it has largely worked out quite well.
- 2026 Hibner (fourth round) and Cuevas (fifth round)
- 2022 Kolar and Likely (fourth round)
- 2018 Hayden Hurst (first round), Mark Andrews (third round)
- 2015 Maxx Williams (second round), Nick Boyle (fifth round)
- 2010 Ed Dickson (third round), Dennis Pitta (fourth round)
Like those before them, Hibner and Cuevas will learn from the veteran franchise leader, Andrews, as well as each other. They'll also challenge each other as they both grow in their young careers.
He was a late bloomer in football with a fast-rising journey.
Cuevas played just about everything growing up baseball, basketball, tennis, and even water polo. Everything except tackle football.
"My mom let me play every sport under the sun except football," Cuevas said. "She said if you're going to play tackle football, you're going to be the biggest punter out there."
A Burbank, Calif. native, he didn't start playing tackle football until high school and it was at a small school with only about 30 players. That meant Cuevas, along with a bunch of other guys, played both ways, and it's when Cuevas fell in love with football.
He was a no-star recruit coming out of high school and started at Cal Poly, where he spent two years and was a Freshman All-American who caught 58 passes for 678 yards and six touchdowns in 2022.
He transferred to Washington and helped them reach the national championship game as a teammate of current Ravens right tackle Roger Rosengarten. Then Cuevas went to Alabama, where he continued to excel and become a highly respected player in one of college football's biggest programs.
He's a one-year starter with his best football ahead.
Cuevas had just four receptions during his one season at Washington. He caught 16 passes in his first year at Alabama.
He became a starter in 2025 and delivered, hauling in 37 passes for 411 yards and four touchdowns despite missing three games with a foot injury.
He's part of a rich history in Baltimore.
Alabama tight end has special meaning in Baltimore, considering it's where Ozzie Newsome starred as a legendary player and still holds a massive presence.
Cuevas is the first Alabama tight end the Ravens have drafted since Terry Jones in the fifth round in 2002.
General Manager Eric DeCosta made the call to Cuevas, but Newsome got on the phone soon afterwards.
"First thing he told me on the phone was "Roll Tide" and I knew I was in the right spot," Cuevas said.
Cuevas is only the second player DeCosta has drafted out of Alabama, following cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis in 2022. It's safe to say that Newsome approved of the pick.
