The Baltimore Ravens have been gifted with numerous talented players at the tight end position over their 26-year-history. From Todd Heap and Dennis Pitta to Nick Boyle and Mark Andrews, the team has been able to identify great talent at the position and it shows.
When ranking the best NFL tight ends, Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus had high praise for Andrews. He used a three-tier system that had the best players as “elite”, followed by players with “tier 1 capabilities, but either lack consistency or have slipped”, and finally “the best of the rest”.
Andrews was placed in the elite category by Treash, and was behind just three other players at the position in Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller. When explaining why Andrews was in the elite category, Treash acknowledged the tight end is the go-to option for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“Andrews took his game to another level in 2021 and became even more of the go-to option for quarterback Lamar Jackson. He posted a career-high 91.5 PFF grade in 2021, the highest among tight ends. The 6-foot-5, 256-pound tight end boasts top-tier ball skills, provides a physical element as a receiver and makes difficult grabs over the middle in traffic look routine. Andrews ranked top five at the position in drop rate (2.6%) and contested catch rate (60%, 18-of-30) while producing more 15-plus yard receptions than any other tight end in the NFL (33). He’s essentially a big slot in the Ravens’ offense, as he played over 50% of his snaps on the inside. And Andrews isn’t a slouch when blocking inline, either, ranking third among tight ends in run-blocking grade for 2021.”
It’s no surprise Andrews received some love from PFF, as the tight end is one of the best at his position. Andrews has been selected to two Pro Bowls and also was awarded 2021 First-Team All-Pro honors. Through his first four seasons, the tight end has caught 263 passes for 3,466 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns.