Isaiah Likely Should Be Part of Ravens' Long-Term Plan

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best tight ends of this generation in Mark Andrews, but the time is going to soon come that he will pass on the torch.

The team may already have their next tight end on their roster in Isaiah Likely, who is already one of the best at the position in the league, despite being the backup. Per Ian Rapoport, Likely is a big part of what the Ravens are looking to do in the future.

"The Ravens really see him as the future of the tight end position, even if they still see Mark Andrews with a big role this year," Rapoport said on a recent episode of The Insiders on NFL Network.

The 25-year-old tight end racked up 477 yards and six touchdowns this past season despite starting in just nine of the sixteen games that he appeared in. He had an impact with the opportunities that he was given, and that is exactly what being a tight end is all about.

When you have Lamar Jackson as your quarterback, being able to keep up with him is no small feat, even harder at the tight end position. But Likely uses his athleticism to do just that at times and be consistent target for the two-time MVP.

Baltimore fell to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional round this past season, so Likely and the rest of the team's offense will be looking to help lead the team back to the postseason to redeem themselves.