OWINGS MILLS — Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely has excited the crowds at training camp with one-handed receptions, leaping catches, and overall dominance.
The young defensive backs are having trouble matching up with Likely, who also adds swagger to the offense with his bravado. Coach John Harbaugh expects Likely to be a key player on offense this season.
“I would say Isaiah has put together a fantastic training camp,” Harbaugh said. “He connected on a bunch of deep balls out there. He’s been spectacular with the route running details. I feel like the timing has been fantastic with him. He’s just a very special athlete. [He] comes to work every day ready to go to work, so we’re really proud of him, and we’ll keep going.”
Last year, after Mark Andrews suffered a serious left ankle injury on November 16th against the Cincinnati Bengals, Likely became a primary target for quarterback Lamar Jackson and scored six touchdowns in the final seven games.
Likely helped earn that trust with Jackson in the divisional playoff game against the Texans when he caught two passes for 34 yards, including a leaping 15-yard grab in the end zone that helped the Ravens cruise to a 34-10 victory.
This offseason, Likely trained with some of the NFL’s best players in Nashville at the so-called Tight End University hosted by Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, San Francisco’s George Kittle, and Greg Olsen, who spent 14 years in the NFL with the Bears, Panthers, and Seahawks. Likely’s attendance underscored his desire to get better as an NFL player.
This year, look for Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to get Andrews and Likely on the field at the same time. Monken can use Likely and Andrews in two tight-end sets to create matchup problems for opposing defenses. Likely, a third-year player from Coastal Carolina, also has the size — 6 feet 4, 247 pounds — and speed to line up as a wide receiver.
Likely is looking forward to being a bigger part of the offense.
“I’m very excited. I feel like I finally get to show everybody my football knowledge – understanding [and] being that ‘chess piece,’ as I say it,” Likely said. “From inline to off the ball to in the slot to out wide to in the backfield, showing [offensive coordinator Todd Monken] that as long as I know where I am for that specific play and that specific design, [attacking] that matchup, I can be the nightmare that everybody wants me to be.”
