Ravens rookie tight end Isaiah Likely has been turning heads since arriving at the Under Armour Performance Center.
He played well throughout the OTAs and mandatory minicamps.
Likely has also shined throughout training camp and his aggressive pass-catching skills were evident in the first preseason game against the Titans.
You're likely getting used to these top plays.. @DaGorilla4 | @oakley pic.twitter.com/nCuKfLInxB
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 15, 2022
Likely had a key reception over two defenders for a 22-yard gain from quarterback Tyler Huntley. He finished the night with four receptions for 44 yards and he’s only going to get better.
However, there is room for improvement.
Likely was flagged for holding calls that nullified first downs, and this would be hugely problematic in the regular season. But he continues to work on his overall blocking skills, and while he might not be Nick Boyle, there should be steady progress as he learns the fundamentals.
“The one play where he had the five jukes … The one juke was good. The next four were unnecessary, but I told him, ‘It’s good to see you can do them. That was good,'” coach John Harbaugh said. “The holding penalties, you just have to understand on the edge … All of our holding penalties were out on the edge, and that’s where it gets called tighter.
“You just have to understand that, and he’ll have to learn that. But, he stepped up and played really well. He has a lot of talent, and he keeps improving every day.”
Likely is also a feisty player that adds a much-needed edge to the Ravens. He is physical with opposing defenders and he is not afraid to jaw at them after a big play.
“It’s really just being consistent, and just really repetition, repetition, repetition,” Likely said. “Once you build repetition and once you have consistency, every play is going to be the same as what it was in practice because you’ve been practicing all week, all month and when you get to the game, it’s just second nature to you.”
Likely could also be a force inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. He was dominant during the red-zone drills at training camp and he will inevitably become a favorite target for quarterback Lamar Jackson.
One on play Likely beat safety Geno Stone for a touchdown near the middle of the end zone.
On the next play, he outran rookie linebacker Diego Fagot and just kept his feet in bounds. Fagot protested that Likely was out-of-bounds and got an earful from the tight end.
"Be where your feet are." @DaGorilla4 pic.twitter.com/2V66yJKS0k
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) August 12, 2022
“Isaiah looked really good in his red zone drills,” Harbaugh said. “He had two back-to-back touchdown catches there against tight man coverage, and he was gassed. He was fighting through the heat, he was really winded and he still came up and made the play. That was impressive.”
Likely has also had some impressive battles with fellow rookie Kyle Hamilton throughout training camp. They often match up in one-on-one drills and it’s always an aggressive showdown.
Likely has won the majority of those battles, but there’s been mutual respect among the pair of first-year players.
And Harbaugh doesn’t put a whole lot of stock into those drills.
“I think he [Likely] is doing great. He’s doing fine,” Harbaugh said. “The one-on-one, like we said before, [Hamilton is] not going to go take Isaiah Likely down in a competitive ball drill here in one-on-ones; we appreciate that. But then Isaiah made some good catches, but Kyle has been right there. He’s doing a good job. He’s playing well. I thought he had a really good game. [There were] some things to clean up, like all the guys, but he had a really good game Thursday night.”
The Ravens like to say “Iron sharpens iron.”
Likely looks to be one sharp rookie.
