Mark Andrews has had a tough off-season after his key drop in the AFC Divisional playoffs. But the Baltimore Ravens tight end still has the respect of his peers.
Andrews earned the No. 6 ranking on the ESPN top-10 list of tight ends, as judged by NFL executives, coaches and scouts. But he wasn’t alone among Ravens, since Isaiah Likely appeared on the list at No. 8.
Andrews leads the Ravens franchise in career touchdowns (51) and is second on the franchise’s all-time receiving-yards list with 5,530 — trailing only Derrick Mason’s 5,777, which Andrews should surpass this year.
Andrews had 11 receiving touchdowns in 2024, despite Likely’s emergence as a bona fide top option in Todd Monken’s offense. Likely set career highs in receptions (42), yards (577) and touchdowns (6), while helping the Ravens go 12-5 and win the AFC North for the second straight year.
What Did NFL Executives Say About Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely?
The Ravens have had a number of players listed in the top-10 of each position thus far. But unsurprisingly they were the only team with multiple tight ends listed Friday.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who compiled the list, noted Andrews’ efficiency. He caught 55 of 69 targets with one interception, and reeled in seven of 10 targets in the playoffs — not including his drop on the end-of-game two-point conversion in Baltimore’s 27-25 loss in Buffalo.
“Elite instincts. A QB’s best friend,” an unidentified NFL coordinator told Fowler. “Dominates the middle of the field. Understands zones and man-to-man better than anyone outside of [Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis] Kelce.
“Baltimore is a totally different team without him. Bummer about the playoff game thing because this guy is a total G.”
Andrews is 6-5, 250 pounds, and Likely is a physical comp, since he checks in at 6-4, 247 pounds. Fowler noted how impressive it is that Likely appears on the list since he splits time — and does so with one of the most prolific tight ends in the game.
“Cracking the top eight as a TE2 is an impressive feat for Likely,” Fowler wrote. “But his profile in Baltimore is growing. He averaged 8.2 yards per target, ranking high within this tight end pool. His 4.3 yards of separation per route also is among the best for his position.”
Fowler also noted the fact Likely is poised to become a free agent after this season. The Ravens would obviously like to retain him, but they will have competition to lock him up, based on his skills.
“He’s a matchup guy, very loose, can separate, big catch radius, pretty diverse route tree,” a veteran NFL coach told ESPN.com.
Who Are The Tight Ends Ranked Ahead Of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely?
Andrews and Likely may be the lone teammates to crack the top-10 list of tight ends, but there are five TEs ahead of Andrews, plus T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings sandwiched between them.
Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders, who was the runner-up to Jayden Daniels for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2024, topped the list as the first to do so after his rookie season.
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers was second. Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions ranked third. Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals checked in at fourth, and Kelce rounded out the top-5.
Here’s the full top-10 list of NFL tight ends.
- Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
- George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
- Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
- Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
- Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
- Mark Andrews, Ravens
- T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
- Isaiah Likely, Ravens
- Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
- David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Ravens Have 2 Players in the Top 10 at This Position, According to NFL Execs appeared first on Heavy Sports.