Tag: Isaiah Likely

Podcast: What skill position players could help Jags from 2022 NFL Draft class?

Bonus content: The @TDJaguarsPod linked up with @MattWaldman of the RSP to talk about a few skill weapons #Jaguars fans should know heading into today’s draft.

It’s draft day, which means the Jacksonville Jaguars have a busy day ahead. Of course, the reason for that is because they hold the first overall pick and 11 others after Day 1.

For this occasion, we recorded a bonus episode of “Touchdown Jaguars” to have one last pre-draft conversation on the skill positions, which is an area where Jags general manager Trent Baalke has struggled with. We were joined by a special guest the whole time as Matt Waldman, the creator of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, chimed in on some receivers, tight ends, and running backs for Jags fans to know.

As seen above, this episode was a very informative one. And while the Jags aren’t expected to take a skill player in the first round, there are plenty of them to know outside of it. Some of the notables discussed specifically include receivers Justyn Ross, Christian Watson, and Jalen Tolbert, as well as tight end Isaiah Likely and several others.

To listen to the full episode, hit play below:

 

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

The most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar reveals his most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class.

When we media yahoos talk about “sleepers” in any draft class, it’s true what NFL teams will tell you — it’s generally a case of the media simply catching up to what those teams have known about those prospects for months. Perception versus reality means that what we’re really talking about are prospects we’re just getting around to after the top-tier players at every position.

So, maybe it’s better to say for the purposes of this exercise that the prospects you see here are the ones whose tape stands out beyond the recognition they’ve gotten. With days to hours left until the 2022 draft, these players are the ones you may not have heard of, or have experienced in passing but haven’t watched, or have watched and wondered where they might be drafted.

Any of these guys going in the first round would be a longshot, but they each have remarkable attributes that show their professional potential, and could seal their NFL futures.

Isaiah Likely named a ‘best fit’ for Giants

Coastal Carolina TE Isaiah Likely has been named a “best fit” for the New York Giants by Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network.

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The New York Giants will be adding a tight end (or two) in the 2022 NFL draft and one of their targets on Days 2 and Day 3 could be Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely. In fact, Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network believes Likely is a great fit for the Giants.

Just last year, the Giants’ tight end room looked to be one of the deepest in football with Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph. After signing Ricky Seals-Jones, the Giants are still in need of a true top tight end. Seals-Jones – like he was in Washington – is an above average backup, but throwing Likely into the fold within an offense that needs to take a step forward could be the optimal addition on Day 2 for new Head Coach Brian Daboll.

Likely (6’4″, 245 lbs.) led all FBS tight ends in touchdowns in 2021 with 12 and was named a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection with 59 catches for 912 yards in 13 starts. He averaged over 20 yards per reception in 2020 and over 15 in 2021.

The Giants are in need of depth and talent in their tight end room and this draft as many options for them to explore. After Seals-Jones, the Giants’ depth chart at the position is spotty (Jake Hausmann, Chris Myarick and Rysen John), so it’s expected that they will add a rookie or two to the room.

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One TE for the Eagles in every round of 2022 NFL Draft

With Philadelphia in need of depth behind Dallas Goedert, here’s one TE for the Eagles in every round of the 2022 NFL Draft

With Zach Ertz now comfortably entrenched in Arizona, Dallas Goedert will join the likes of Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Mark Andrews as one of the NFL’s elite tight ends.

A fifth-year pro out of South Dakota State, Goedert graded out as the second-best tight end in the NFL behind Andrews and ahead of Kittle and Kelce after the Ertz trade according to Pro Football Focus.

Goedert will begin the the first year of a four-year, $59 million extension signed last November, and even as his star ascends, Philadelphia will need a solid candidate at backup.

Tyree Jackson has potential, but he’ll miss extended time with a knee injury, while Jack Stoll is limited in his potential if forced into extended playing time.

With depth being an urgent need for every position, here’s a tight for the Eagles in every round of the NFL draft.

2022 NFL draft: Isaiah Likely scouting report

Everything NFL draft fans need to know about Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely

A talented pass-catcher who put up some huge numbers in the Sun Belt Conference, Coastal Carolina’s Isiah Likely will look to bring his electric receiving ability to the next level as he enters to the 2022 NFL draft.

Here is everything you need to know about the Chanticleers’ talented tight end prospect:

Giants load up in latest Dane Brugler mock draft

Dane Brugler has released his 7-round mock draft and in it, the New York Giants get the best projected haul we’ve seen yet.

Three edge rushers go off the board over the first four picks in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft for The Athletic, which certainly thins things out for the New York Giants.

With offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu also going to the Houston Texans at No. 4 overall, it leaves the Giants with few ideal options. But one of those just so happens to be Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal.

Regardless of what happens with the first four picks, the organization and first-year general manager Joe Schoen have to feel good about what will be left for them at No. 5. Neal offers outstanding flexibility, both as a 340-pound blocker and with his versatility to play right tackle or guard.

As anticipated, the Carolina Panthers then select a quarterback (Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett), leaving the Giants with a choice between Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton.

They choose the sauce.

If the Giants are unable to trade back and add draft assets for next year, a plug-and-play blocker at No. 5 and shut down corner at No. 7 feels like the ideal scenario for Schoen and the Giants. Gardner has the length, speed and confidence that should translate well to the pro game.

In Round 2, Brugler sees the Giants add to their pass rush with the selection of Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie.

From there, the Giants make the following selections:

  • No. 67: Dylan Parham, OG/C, Memphis
  • No. 81: John Metchie, WR, Alabama
  • No. 112: James Cook, RB, Georgia
  • No. 147: Dane Belton, S, Iowa
  • No. 173: Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina
  • No. 182: Jeremiah Gemmel, LB, North Carolina

Arguably, this is the best seven-round mock draft we’ve seen for the Giants all year. It addresses most of their primary needs and many of their secondary needs, leaving them in much better shape than pre-draft. However, there’s no guarantee Belton will come in and have immediate impact and although intelligent, Gemmel doesn’t really provide the Giants the impact linebacker they are seeking.

But that’s the issue the Giants face — even with nine selections in the draft. Their roster is so thinned out that no matter how well they do in the draft, areas of need will remain.

Still, this draft would satisfy most Giants fans.

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2022 NFL draft: The top 11 tight ends

Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield breaks down and analyzes the top 11 tight ends in the 2022 NFL draft class.

Last year saw tight end Kyle Pitts, termed the “unicorn” in many circles, come off the board inside the top five of the first round.

Do not expect something similar this draft cycle.

If you are a fan of the tight end position, you might be in for a little wait this time around. But what this draft class lacks for star power at the top, it more than makes up for it with depth and talent in the middle rounds. The first tight end might not come off the board until later in the second round, or maybe not until the third, but one it happens do not be surprised if you see a little run at the position. There are a number of tight ends in this class in the second- or third-round range who are going to come off the board once the first one hears his name called.

Interestingly enough, this group also has more players who can handle the blocking part of the position well, and what they offer as a receiver is the bigger question.

Let’s dive in.

Cardinals have visit scheduled with TE prospect Isaiah Likely

The Coastal Carolina TE scored 12 touchdowns in 2021, the most by an FBS tight end.

The Arizona Cardinals entered the offseason basically needing all the tight ends — a starting tight end, a receiving tight end, a blocking tight end and more. They re-signed both Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams and also added Stephen Anderson recently.

That doesn’t mean, though, that they won’t use one of their eight draft picks to select a tight end in the draft.

They are doing their homework on the tight ends in this class and one is scheduled for a visit here in Arizona, presumably for one of the team’s top-30 visits.

According to Jordan Schultz, the Cardinals will bring in Coastal Carolina tight end Isaiah Likely. He is scheduled to visit with the Bills and the Jets as well.

Likely is 6-4 and 245 lbs. He can make plays in the passing game. He had 59 receptions for 912 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021. His 12 touchdowns were the most by an FBS tight end.

He had five career touchdown receptions of at least 50 yards in his team. He also showed toughness, playing through a lower-body injury in 2020 when his team was playing very well.

Likely is likely a player to watch on Day 3 of the draft.

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Lions 2022 NFL draft: A tight end for every round

The latest in the “prospect for each round of the 2022 NFL draft” series focuses on tight ends, a definite need for the Detroit Lions

It doesn’t get brought up very often in the list of Detroit Lions needs this offseason, but tight end definitely merits inclusion. The Lions bring back Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson, who should be healthy and ready to roll once again. Free agent signee Garrett Griffin can handle the veteran blocking TE role, at least that’s the expectation. Griffin is on a one-year, veteran-minimum contract so that certainly doesn’t mean anything for the long-term team building.

The rest of the depth chart consists of undrafted rookies from a year ago (Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra) and some castoffs (Matt Sokol, Jared Pinkney) who have collectively never caught a single NFL pass. While the Lions subsisted a year ago by using an extra offensive tackle (primarily Will Holden, still unsigned) as a blocking tight end, it would be nice to get some youthful potential with experience at the position into the Lions pipeline. Hockenson is the only tight end under contractual control after 2022.

As with the rest of this series of identifying potential prospects of interest in each round of the draft, the purpose here isn’t to advocate for any one player. It’s to show the different options that could be available for Lions GM Brad Holmes and his staff to consider, and what caliber of player and positional depth looks like in this class.

Lions 2022 NFL draft: A quarterback for every round

Lions 2022 NFL draft: A safety for every round

Lions 2022 NFL draft: A wide receiver for every round

Tight end is a little tougher. There isn’t a prospect worthy of consideration with any of the Lions’ first three picks (2, 32, 34). To keep the same format, consider the second-rounder listed here as the Lions’ pick at the top of the third. It seems very unlikely any tight ends are drafted by any team in the first 50 or so picks this year.

Colts held private workout for TE Isaiah Likely

The Colts held a private workout for TE Isaiah Likely ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.

The Indianapolis Colts held a private workout for former Coastal Carolina tight end prospect Isaiah Likely ahead of the 2022 NFL draft, per Ryan Roberts of RiseNDraft.

It is no surprise that the Colts would want to get a look at Likely, who have a need at the tight end position. He had a disappointing showing at the NFL combine, which could be why the Colts wanted a private workout.

It isn’t clear if there is a massive distinction between a top-30 visit and a private workout. Top-30 visits typically include a medical check-up so if the Colts didn’t do that aspect of the visit, then it may not officially count as a top-30 visit.

Regardless, the Colts will be eyeing a tight end at some point during the draft. The retirement of Jack Doyle leaves a pretty big void at the position while Mo Alie-Cox will be stepping in as the starter after signing a three-year extension.

Likely measured in at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds but was recorded running a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash. That isn’t terrible but many were hoping his speed would show up a little better in Indy. He did post elite numbers in the vertical (36″) and broad jump (10’03”) drills.

(Courtesy of Kent Lee Platte)

In 2021, the senior tight end posted 59 receptions for 912 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Over his final two campaigns with the Chanticleers, Likely averaged 17 yards per reception.

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