Who Should I Start? Isaiah Likely or Elijah Arroyo

Friday, May 30, 12:49 PM

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has high hopes for rising tight end Isaiah Likely as he enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2025. "I want to see [Likely] be an All-Pro," Harbaugh said . "That'd be my goal for him, and he's capable of it." The former fourth-rounder in 2022 has been the backup to Mark Andrews for much of his career, but that could be changing in 2025. Likely caught nine passes for 111 yards and a touchdown in the season opener a year ago, but he didn't have another 100-yard game the rest of the year. He ended the season with 42 catches, 477 yards and six touchdowns. In 49 total games with Baltimore, including 19 starts, Likely has 108 catches for 1,261 yards and 14 TDs. In 10 games that Andrews has missed due to injuries the last three years, he had 530 yards and seven TDs. If Andrews misses any more time in 2025, Likely will be a must-start TE1 on a weekly basis.

Thursday, May 22, 3:46 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo was the No. 50 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after securing 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns in his final campaign at Miami. The 22-year-old led the Hurricanes in yards per reception (16.9) while catching passes from Cam Ward. So far at OTAs, Seahawks brass is impressed with his ability and versatility. "This guy can run an extensive route tree," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "To have to account for a tight end body on the field and him also to be able to split out wide, do X receiver type of things, bigger body than we probably have right now on our roster, just provides a ton of value." While tight ends often take time to develop in the NFL, Arroyo could operate as a downfield threat for Sam Darnold. Wideouts Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp operate in the short to intermediate parts of the field, so there's room for Arroyo to make splash plays. Arroyo is unlikely to be a consistent fantasy producer in traditional formats, but he could be worth a late-round dart throw in best ball drafts.