“It shouldn’t be like this. There’s no way that college football should be producing a better class of tight ends than wide receivers. … “Tight end is the strongest position group in the draft,” an executive in personnel for an AFC team said.” – Bob McGinn, GoLongTD.com
In the 54 drafts since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, only 14 tight ends have been selected in the Top 10. In the last 20 years, just five tight ends were taken that high. But as Bob McGinn notes in the quote above, “It shouldn’t be like this.”
NFL offenses have migrated toward almost exclusively quick passing concepts from multiple formations. Many coaches are even calling run plays with a pass “check” attached.
Look at the kinds of coaches being hired. Mike McDaniel, Kevin O’Connell, Zac Taylor, Shane Steichen, etc. All progressive, offensive minds. And why wouldn’t they be? Quarterbacks, from a high school level, are being coached to channel their kinetic attention spans and make calls on the fly.
Where do tight ends come in? Well, if you can get a player who plays like a wide receiver but weighs 30 pounds (or) more than the average wideout, you have yourself a perennial x-factor.
Brock Bowers, rising junior from the University of Georgia, is widely regarded as an elite prospect in the 2024 draft. So much so that he should go in the 1st round, and potentially join Kyle Pitts, Riley Odoms, Mike Ditka, and Billy Cannon as the only tight ends ever to be selected in the Top 5 in the 88-year history of the NFL Draft.
The way the game is moving, like quarterbacks, you really want to have a premier tight end. Boy, do the Ravens have a great one.
Three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews is averaging 118 targets per year since 2020. He’s without question the go-to option in this offense, even with recent additions. His impact demoralizes defenses, as would-be tacklers can be draped on his back while he still makes the catch.
As Andrews enters his 6th pro season, his impact isn’t in doubt (not just on the Ravens, but around the league). If it weren’t for Travis Kelce, Andrews would be the best tight end in football. His yards per target (8.6) is barely behind Kelce’s (9.0). The question now becomes: Who else do the Ravens have that can augment Andrews’ production and further solidify Baltimore’s offensive edge?
This position is pretty well defined. After Andrews, Isaiah Likely is the No. 2, with Charlie Kolar being the No. 3. Rookie free agent from Nebraska Travis Vokolek faces long odds to make the team. However, last year in Lincoln, though used sparingly, he gained 240 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns. , so he should definitely give Baltimore’s coaches a good look.
Likely, for me, is the biggest hidden gem on this entire team. He’s so athletic, clutch, and tough that I see no way he’s not pushing for 800 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns this season. Think about it. Between Lamar Jackson, Andrews, Odell Beckham, Jr., and Zay Flowers, Likely is not going to be the central focus of defenses.
Whenever he’s on the field, he’s a threat to move the chains. Literally. Half of his receptions last year (36) resulted in first downs (18). That was as a rookie when he was just figuring things out (and playing with three different quarterbacks). Even though his playing time will be dictated by personnel groupings (and not necessarily talent), I’m convinced Likely’s stock will soar in 2023.
Kolar is an interesting player to forecast, because we don’t know a whole lot about him from a professional standpoint. To evaluate him properly, we ought to look at what the Ravens expect in a 3rd tight end. When Nick Boyle and Josh Oliver were here, they were mostly used for blocking on perimeter runs and in short yardage situations, with the occasional reception by way of a check down. And of course, be a staple on the league’s best special teams unit.
Kolar, if he makes the team, is expected to be deployed in a similar way. Last season, he saw action in two games, making four catches—three for first downs. His chances for making the team, strangely enough, aren’t primarily based on his offensive ability.
Is Kolar going to be a significant offensive contributor this year? Probably not. Can the Ravens afford to start their season with only two tight ends? Probably not. Similar to Likely, he’s entering his 2nd year and has barely scratched the surface of what he can be.
In 2022, the Ravens targeted their tight ends 204 times out of 465 total pass attempts (43.9 percent target share). As a comparison, the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs threw to their tight ends on 201 of their 614 pass attempts last season (32.7 percent).
For Baltimore to target tight ends a full 11 percent more than the reigning Super Bowl champs—a team that relies heavily on theirs—is a sign this club is fully convinced of the vitality of the position.
Led by George Godsey (who coached Rob Gronkowski in New England for two seasons), this group of tight ends is quietly becoming one of the better position units in the entire NFL. Given their talent, youth, and depth, it’s easy to see a path for them to lead this offense to regular and postseason success.
Michael Fast
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
To engage with Mike on social media, follow him on Twitter @MikeFastNFL.
