Isaiah Likely will finish 3rd on the team in receptions and receiving yards

Sometimes, we have to believe our eyes. Andrews is Jackson’s top target. Bateman is a clear No. 1 among the wide receivers. No other pass catcher came close to matching the productivity or “wow” factor we saw from Likely, a fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina, in training camp and the preseason.

The rookie has every tool you’d want from a catch-first tight end: reliable hands in traffic, an inherent feel for sliding into open spaces, strength and balance to run through tackles. Ravens coaches had seen enough after he torched the Arizona Cardinals for 100 yards in one half; he didn’t play again over their next six quarters of preseason action.

Not many teams rely on tight ends to be two of their top three receivers, but no one has accused the Ravens of orthodoxy on offense. Roman loves designing sets for multiple tight ends. Jackson loves throwing to big targets over the middle. If Likely is half the player he was over the last six weeks, he will receive plenty of chances. On a roster without a clear No. 2 wide receiver, he will be a featured playmaker.