Ravens Underrated TE Poised to Capitalize on Expanded Role

"I have a lot of respect for Charlie, I really do," offensive coordinator Todd Monken said last Thursday. "My understanding is when he came out, he wasn't really known as a 'Y' [which is] a blocking tight end. That wasn't his forte. He was a really good matchup guy, ball-skill guy, red zone, tough catches, which he still is – but man, has he come a long way – special teams, at times, he's been a special teams captain for us."

Likely is widely viewed as one of the best talents at the position in the entire league and was even voted into the top 10 of an ESPN ranking that polled input from anonymous coaches and executives from around the league. Many believe he is the heir apparent to three-time Pro Bowl veteran Mark Andrews as the future top tight end in Baltimore, as every member of the unit is heading into the final year of their respective contracts.

Last week, on the final play of a full-team drill, Likely got rolled up on and suffered the first injury-related setback of his career and had to be carted off the field. Thankfully, it was just a small fracture in his foot that he has already undergone surgery to address, and he won't have to miss extended time; a return for the season opener against the Buffalo Bills is still a possibility.

As unfortunate and untimely as this minor injury to one of the Ravens' best players is, it has also created an opportunity for Kolar to reprise a familiar role and showcase more of his prowess as a pass catcher. He has done just that and then some in the week since Likely went down and put it on full display in the team's lone joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday where he made several impressive receptions including a contested catch for a touchdown, another in traffic over the middle of the field and got left wide open for a long catch-and-run for a score.

"Charlie came in as a [receiving tight end]," head coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday after practice. "That's the interesting thing. And I do think he's grown as a receiver, also, but he's really – probably his biggest growth came as a blocker. He never blocked, I don't think, maybe one time, at Iowa State. It doesn't seem like it. Now, he's kind of known as a blocker, and yet he had two or three big, huge, passing play catches today."

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has liked what he has seen out of Kolar as of late as well and believes he is "getting a great feel for the game" as their on-field chemistry continues to improve.

"He's lookin g like a little Mark [Andrews] and a little Isaiah [Likely] out there, in his own way," Jackson said. "He [is] coming along great."

Through his first three years in the league, Kolar has been so sparsely used in the passing game for the Ravens that he became an afterthought for opposing defenses to the degree that some of his longest catches were not just uncontested, but there wasn't a defender within 20 yards of him in some instances.

It was a far cry from his time in college days when he was one of the most trusted and potent targets for former Cyclone and current franchise quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy. Kolar's 21 catches for 271 receiving yards and two touchdowns barely eclipse a third of his production from his senior season, when he posted career-highs in receptions (62) a nd receiving yards (756) and caught half a dozen touchdowns.

A broken forearm he suffered while blocking for five-time Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry caused him to spend all of December on injured reserve, causing him to miss four games down the stretch, but he still managed to finish with career highs across the board with nine catches for 131 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Back in 2022, when they were rookies, Kolar was the one who had to miss pretty much the entirety of training camp as a result of having to undergo sports hernia surgery. During his absence, Likely made the most of the opportunity and seized an expanded role in the offense. Now that the situation is reversed, Kolar feels prepared and is primed to do the same, as his presence still allows the Ravens to be lethal out of 12 personnel.

"I want to keep expanding on my role, keep playing better, the snaps I'm giving, and keep earning more but it's nice to have that," Kolar said. "We talked about earned confidence of seeing yourself do it, but yes, that's a good question. It's good to have that film, and you can continue [to grow], but it's so important to ... The only thing that matters is the next play . And so, it's important to look back, learn from it and take that confidence into the next year, but still keep getting better."

When all parties are healthy, the Ravens have the best tight end depth chart in the league. Even with Likely out for the time being, which could extend into the regular season if both sides want to be overly cautious, they still have a strong claim to having one of the best tandems at the position with Andrews and Kolar.