It’s always been mindboggling how the NFL let Mark Andrews slip into the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Equally as mindboggling is that the Baltimore Ravens took a tight end in the first round that wasn’t Mark Andrews.
The Ravens selected Hayden Hurst No. 25 overall in the 2018 NFL draft, 61 spots ahead of where they took Andrews in the third round at No. 86 overall. Just goes to show that player evaluation is never an exact science and teams miss all the time.
In their careers, Andrews has 138 more receptions, 2,162 more yards, and 17H more touchdowns than Hurst in their four years. Hurst has been solid since leaving the Ravens but is now on his third team, joining Super Boal runner-up Cincinnati. Andrews, however, is on a big-time contract with his original team and is considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Mark Schofield had Mark Andrews at No. 3 in Touchdown Wire’s top 12 tight ends in the NFL heading into 2022.
Were it not for the presence of the next two players on our list, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews might be the most important — and best — tight end in the game. Andrews handles a number of roles in the Baltimore offense, from being perhaps the focal point of their passing game as well as a key contributor to their diverse running schemes. – Schofield, Touchdown Wire
Finding a good to great tight end in the NFL has become almost as difficult as finding a great quarterback. With teams becoming so pass-oriented at all levels of football, the dual-threat tight end, someone who can block and catch with equal effectiveness, is becoming increasingly scarce.
Though he plays tight end, Mark Andrews is the No. 1 target in the Baltimore Ravens passing attack for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Andrews led the Ravens in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2021, and the player that was No. 2 on the team, Marquise Brown, was traded to Arizona this spring. There’s an expectation that Rashod Bateman will take a step forward in his second season, but the ball will continue to go to Mark Andrews regularly.
Andrews comes in behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle, the two guys that have been considered the best tight ends in the NFL for several years now. But with how good Andrews was last year, he’s on the verge of joining Kelce and Kittle in the top tier of tight ends in the NFL.
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