Will Crockett Gillmore start for Baltimore Ravens at tight end?

Crockett Gillmore may only be in his second year, but he looks to be playing with the first-team when the Baltimore Ravens’ season kicks off this September.

Gillmore, who played tight end for the Colorado State Rams from 2010-13, will be boosted into the starting lineup due to an injury to would-be starter Dennis Pitta. Pitta is “likely” to be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list per the team’s official website, meaning the six-year veteran will miss at least the first six games of this season, possibly longer. Pitta’s attempting to come back from a fractured and dislocated hip, but has yet to be cleared by doctors.

One man’s misfortune is another’s opportunity in the NFL. Crockett Gillmore now must seize the day and prove he should be the full-time starter.

Including Pitta and Gillmore, there are six tight ends on the Ravens’ roster, so it’s not automatic the former Rams star will get a majority of the snaps. But it is likely considering he played in 15 games and started one for Baltimore in his rookie campaign, last season. Gillmore hauled in 10 passes for 121 yards and one touchdown, which came against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9.

Two of Baltimore’s other tight ends are rookies, while the other two men are third-year players with a similar amount of starts and production. Of course, those starts came with other teams, giving Gillmore the leg up on the competition.

From 2010-13, he excelled at Colorado State, starting 36 games with 111 receptions for 1,308 yards and eight touchdowns over that time. He was instrumental in both catching the football as well as being a solid blocker for Kapri Bibbs during the running back’s remarkable season.

Gillmore’s teammate at CSU, Weston Richburg, was also selected in the 2014 NFL Draft but by the New York Giants. Richburg was an immediate impact player, and he started 15 games as a rookie left guard.

For Colorado State fans looking to see Gillmore in person, the Ravens come to Denver to face the Broncos on September 13, with kickoff scheduled for 2:25 p.m. MT. But first, the former Ram must win the job in training camp.