Tis the season! Fantasy football drafts are starting to go down across the country, and as we gear up towards the start of another season, we’re all looking for that one gem, that one late round steal. One name to monitor for the rest of the preseason is Baltimore Ravens rookie tight end Isaiah Likely. That’s assuming you’re in a league that forces you to draft a tight end, of course. Coming out of Coastal Carolina, Likely was heralded for his pure receiving talent and his potential to bring the big play to whichever offense drafted him. Based on how his preseason has looked, Likely certainly looks capable of taking that electric factory to the NFL.
ISAIAH LIKELY IS ELECTRIC ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/xMU2MBtaQM
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 22, 2022
Of course, you always have to put preseason success within the context of the preseason. We won’t really know for sure until Likely starts making plays like this against the first team defense week in and week out. But, at the very least, he’s off to a good start, and that makes him worth watching. On Saturday, Likely was targeted eight times. He hauled in all eight for 100 yards and a touchdown. While everyone is raving about his performance against the Arizona Cardinals, Likely also had a solid showing in limited action against the Tennessee Titans. He was targeted four times, and caught all four for 44 yards. It wasn’t a necessarily gaudy stat line, but he showed he can break a few ankles on one of those catches.
Concern around this Ravens passing game arose out of the question, “where are the big plays going to come from?” Tight end Mark Andrews has become one of the steadiest tight ends in the game. They’re expecting a major step up from wide receiver Rashod Bateman. But, the opportunities will be there for a slew of guys to take advantage of. If Likely can continue this streak he’s on, he could be one of those guys. That could make him a value pick later on in your draft – a guy to stash on the bench, see how he progresses, and a guy who could yield a tremendous payoff later on in the season.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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