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'A QB's best friend' — Ravens' loaded tight end room collects a rare feat and loads of compliments from NFL personnel

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kyle Crabbs | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 10:14 AM ET

The Baltimore Ravens' tight end room is, rightfully, considered to be amongst the best in the NFL.

There's an interesting dynamic between the two talents that anchor Baltimore's tight end position, with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely both offering a supreme amount of positional flexibility to play either with their hand in the dirt or as a flex weapon in the passing game. Both Andrews and Likely are also entering into a contract year in 2025, meaning the Ravens are a team with some tough decisions ahead of them for a pair of productive talents.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler has polled 70 executives, coaches, and scouts across the NFL about the top-10 players at each position in the league entering 2025, and the feedback across the league underscores the unique opportunity the Ravens have with this pairing.

Both Mark Andrews & Isaiah Likely finish top-8 in polling

The Ravens aren't the only team that had multiple tight ends get votes, but they are the only team whose vote getters played together last year. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers, with newly acquired Jonnu Smith, joined the Ravens in having multiple tight ends on the list. But Pittsburgh's players were in the honorable mention section, whereas both Andrews and Likely cracked the top-8 of the poll.

The comments for Andrews in particular offered plenty of praise.

"Elite instincts. A QB's best friend...dominates the middle of the field. Understands zones and man-to-man better than anyone outside of Kelce. Baltimore is a totally different team without him. Bummer about the playoff game thing because this guy is a total G."

- NFL coordinator on Mark Andrews

Baltimore's successes with these two on the field together is well documented. The team's 12-personnel grouping, with one back and two tight ends on the field together, had unparalleled success in 2024. But with both players in contract years and Andrews knocking on the door of 30 years of age, this iteration of the Ravens' offense is short on time to make it count.

The Ravens and their tight ends can revel in being in rare company in the eyes of their peers — but 2025 is the time to capitalize on just how prolific this pair is and the challenges in can create for opponents. It may be their last time to go at it together as teammates.