Eric DeCosta believes Ravens will have NFL’s ‘best tandem’ at tight end

The duo of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely can “create a lot of problems for opposing defensive coordinators.”

Several teams in the NFL can claim to have an elite duo at the wide receiver position. However, the Baltimore Ravens are the only ones who can confidently proclaim to have a pair of proven playmakers at the tight end position with three-time Pro Bowler Mark Andrews and third-year pro Isaiah Likely.

The two combined for 75 receptions for 955 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last season with Andrews racking up the bulk of the production through the first 10 games before suffering a severe ankle injury. As was the case at times when he was a rookie, Likely more than picked up the slack in his absence and firmly established himself as one of the most gifted up-and-coming players at the position.

All of the extended playing time the 2022 fourth-rounder received during his veteran mentor’s absence allowed him to build a stronger bond with reigning league MVP and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson. Their chemistry has only grown stronger since then and was evident throughout training camp, as Likely was one of the brightest standouts whose acrobatic catches regularly littered highlight reels posted on the team’s social media accounts.

“He’s a playmaker,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “He’s got route-running ability – [he’s] similar to a receiver in some ways. [He’s] strong after the catch; that’s something that going back to college when I evaluated him, that’s the one thing you kind of hung your hat on, ‘This guy was dangerous with the football in his hands.’ He’s another guy – I’ve seen an urgency with him.”

Despite only being 24 years old, DeCosta has seen Likely emerge as a leader and believes he and Andrews can soar to even greater heights in the second year under offensive coordinator Todd Monken.

“I just feel like he and Mark Andrews will be the best tandem at their position in the league and really create a lot of problems for opposing defensive coordinators,” DeCosta said.

Andrews returned to action in time for last year’s AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs but was admittedly not himself. He now feels fully recovered from that injury and the recent car accident he was involved in. Mark echoed similar sentiments to DeCosta about the potential dangerous playmaking potential they bring to the table individually and as a tandem.

“It’s going to be tough,” Andrews said Friday. “We’re both very versatile players, and obviously, ‘Likes’ [Isaiah Likely] had an incredible camp, and we’re going to be able to do a lot of things together. That’s kind of ‘to be determined’ to see how that goes and see how we can work off each other, but there are a lot of … it’s just a dynamic duo, I think.”

While the Las Vegas Raiders might be able to make a similar claim in a few years after taking Brock Bowers in the first round this year and Michael Mayer in the second round last year, the combination of Andrews of Likely will remain the unquestioned best tight end tandem in the league as long as they’re playing together.