Ravens rookie tight end Isaiah Likely caught four of four targets for 44 yards in Baltimore’s 23-10 preseason win over the Tennessee Titans.
The rookie fourth-round pick was a starter in last night’s debut, and after the game, he said that he felt “like a little kid on Christmas”. Likely was on the field for most of the first half with quarterback Tyler Huntley and the second team offense.
Likely was called for two holding penalties, but he also made some tough catches and made impressive moves after the run. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as he was showing his potential when at Coastal Carolina last year.
Let’s dive into his performance in Thursday night’s game and how he has the potential to help the Ravens offense in his rookie year!
Catching ability
Likely is a matchup nightmare for most defenders in a nickel package as he stands at 6-foot-4 and he’s a natural jump ball receiver.
On Thursday night, he exploded out of his three-point stance and then climbed up to make an impress catch over a defender.
This was not an easy catch to make as the defender’s arm was actually in between Likely’s, but he was still able to maintain his grip and control when going to the ground.
We saw similar flashes of this in college.
Great option route here by Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely. Looking forward to see him get some work in the Senior Bowl this week. pic.twitter.com/MhR0ANfOgE
— The 4 Man Rush (@4ourmanrush) February 1, 2022
Likely not only is a red zone threat with his jump ball ability, but he can also make adjustments to make possession catches over the middle.
With Likely’s catching ability paired with the competitive run-blocker Charlie Kolar, it looks like the Ravens have a solid rookie tight end room.
After the catch
One area of Likely’s skillset that we witnessed last night was his ability to move after the catch. In the clip below it was third down and eight, Likely was asked to block the edge, release and then break out to the flat.
After staying in the quarterback’s line of vision, he makes a clean catch, puts his foot in the ground and immediately makes a move to obtain the first down.
This isn’t the first time that Likely has shown his quick twitch when he has the ball in his hands. He showed that same lateral ability and quick change of direction at Coastal Carolina as well.
Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely (#4) has become one of my favorite players during the 2022 NFL Draft cycle.
Here, Likely shows great lateral movement skills after the catch. Get the man his touches and he will impress. pic.twitter.com/zyQ4N6WU2y
— Nick Price (@PriceCheck3) December 16, 2021
Even when Likely is juking defenders out of their shoes, he’s still making impressive catches and getting north and south as quick as possible, which is really the main goal.
In last night’s matchup, his last catch of the night showed a quick turn which allowed him to squeeze by two Titan’s defenders.
Looking ahead
When looking ahead, the Ravens may have locked in their tight-end room for the future. With Mark Andrews, who was ranked as one of the best at his position by PFF, per Ravens Wire; and also, Nick Boyle, who is one of the best blocking tight ends in the game, it’s looking like Likely will be their receiving tight end of the future.
Wide receiver James Proche II had this to say about Likely when asked how he’s preformed so far in camp.
“He has great hands. Great hands, great route running for his size. He can stick and move at 6’3″, 200-whatever [pounds] he is. He just has great movements for his size, and I think that’s the most impressive thing.”
Blocking seems to be his only weakness but if he continues to improve, it won’t be his downfall. As preseason continues on, Likely can make a few adjustments that will help with the holding penalties, giving him an opportunity to help his team as the Ravens are known to run two tight end and two running back personnel. According to Sharp Football Analysis, they ran 22 personnel the most in the NFL (14%).
Likely will be a great depth piece moving forward and we’ll continue to monitor his development, but there are high hopes that he was one of the top steals in last year’s NFL draft.
