Durham Smythe embraces dirty work for Ravens offense

Steve Rudden, Ravens WireSat, May 30, 2026 at 9:04 PM UTC

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Durham Smythe embraces dirty work for Ravens offense

New Ravens tight end Durham Smythe understands exactly what his role is, and he fully embraces it. During an appearance on The Lounge with Ryan Mink and Garrett Downing, Smythe discussed carving out a long NFL career as one of the league’s more respected blocking tight ends. Smythe said early in his career that he realized he needed to find a specific niche to survive in the NFL.

“I kind of go by ‘adapt or die’ in this league.”

After entering the NFL in the same draft class as receiving tight end Mike Gesicki, Smythe quickly understood where he could provide the most value.

“I learned really fast, hey, I can catch the ball, I can do some of this stuff, but I’m not going to run like that guy. I can’t jump like that guy. So I’ve got to find my role.”

That role eventually became doing the dirty work in the run game, something Smythe now takes pride in.

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“At this point in my career, I think I get more excited when we have an outside zone play or power and then you see Derrick Henry run by you for a 60-yard touchdown when you know you’re the guy that kind of led the charge with that.”

Smythe said that impact on winning matters more than statistics.

“At the end of the day, it’s just how can I impact the game?”

That mentality feels like a natural fit for Baltimore's offense and identity.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Durham Smythe finds his niche in Ravens offense

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Source: “AOL Sports”