The Baltimore Ravens have some of the best players in football on both sides of the ball, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson. While Mark Andrews is a well-known offensive weapon and Zay Flowers broke out last season, there could be a new breakout player on the Ravens offense in 2024.
Baltimore’s offense will always have its primary identity coming from the ground game, especially after adding Derrick Henry this offseason. However, there have been questions regarding the Ravens depth chart at wide receiver following the departure of Odell Beckham Jr.
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Behind Flowers, it’ Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker. While there is some hope that Walker can provide a bit of a vertical threat, the rookie is more likely to be a developmental piece for the future. Agholor has solid chemistry with Jackson, but his big plays come once a month and Bateman has struggled to regain his form following a myriad of injuries.
On the surface, this would seemingly raise more concern for the state of the Ravens offense in 2024. However, in Baltimore, the team believes there’s someone ready to step up to help maintain an explosive and efficient passing attack.
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On the latest Inside Coverage podcast , senior NFL insider Charles Robinsn of Yahoo Sports highlighted tight end Isaiah Likely as the player who generated a ton of buzz when he visited Ravens training camp.
“Seeing them go 11 on 11 or 7 on 7 in the red zone, he’s throwing to Likely a lot. When I talked to someone in the organization afterward, we started to talk about the offense. Likely is going to be a very big piece of the offense in Baltimore.”
Charles Robinson on Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely
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- Isaiah Likely stats ( ESPN ): 30 receptions, 411 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns, 13.7 yards per reception last season
Likely stepped up last season when Andrews was injured, proving he could be a consistent weapon in the Ravens offense as a starter. Now that the Pro Bowl tight end is healthy, Baltimore intends to frequently use 2TE sets, finding matchups for both Likely and Andrews to exploit.
While he’ll still be behind Andrews and Flowers for targets, the 6-foot-4 tight end could prove to be a very frequently-targeted option in the red zone and he’s already demonstrated he can get yards after the catch. So, while some expected Likely to be less involved with Andrews back out there, the Ravens’ No. 2 tight end might have better numbers than he did a year ago.
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