Ravens expect more from tight ends
The Baltimore Ravens plan to be more creative in how they use their tight ends this season to get them more involved in the passing attack.
The Ravens will need more
production from them.
Baltimore lost a 1,000-yard wide receiver when it traded Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals during this year’s draft. And currently, the Ravens’ roster features several young, unproven wideouts.
“We expect a lot of production from those guys,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of his tight ends. “There’s a lot of depth. It’s going to be interesting. They will function as receivers in one sense or another a lot of times too. They’re good receiving tight ends. They’re blocking. They look good so far.”
The Ravens’ tight ends group is led by Mark Andrews, who has established himself as one of the best in the NFL.
Last season, Andrews led all NFL tight ends with 1,361 receiving yards. He was tied for the fifth-most receptions with 107, earning his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Fellow tight end Nick Boyle also is poised to bounce back from two injury-plagued seasons.
Through nine games in 2020, before being placed on IR with a knee injury against the Patriots, Boyle tied a career-high with two touchdown receptions while posting 113 yards on 14 catches.
The Ravens also selected a pair of tight ends in the fourth round of this year’s draft — Charlie Kolar from Iowa State and Isaiah Likely from Coastal Carolina. Both players are expected to make a firstyear impact and Harbaugh said it’s reasonable for the team to carry four tight ends.
“Those guys are awesome,” Boyle said about the rookies. “They fit in really well. And on top of that, when you see them out here running plays and catching balls and stuff, they’re really good.”