Isaiah Likely Is One of the Most Versatile Tight Ends in This Draft

Isaiah Likely, TE

School: Coastal Carolina | Conference: Sun Belt

College Experience: Senior | Age: ?

Height / Weight: 6’4” / 245 lbs

Projected Draft Status: 2nd – 4th Round

Player Comparison: Gerald Everett

College Statistics

Player Overview

Coastal Carolina seemed to come out nowhere during the 2020 season. The story of how they’ve developed their program is fascinating. A lot is owed to the development of many players, one of the most important being Isaiah Likely. An unranked high school wide receiver that was lightly recruited, only one program outside of his native New England made him an offer: Coastal Carolina. Likely showed his potential as freshman, catching five touchdowns as a backup. He improved with each season and finished his career strong, leading all tight ends in the nation with 12 touchdown catches. This earned him All-Sun Belt and All-American honors.

Strengths

· Can lineup inline, in the slot, or out wide

· Reliable hands; only one drop this season

· Fast enough to beat defenders deep and rack up yards after the catch

· Knack for finding the open spaces in coverages

· Willing blocker who is most effective blocking downfield

Weaknesses

· Less than ideal size for a TE

· Blocking technique and strength needs improvement along line of scrimmage

· Could improve his quickness off the line

· Route running could be more precise

Let’s see his work

How He Fits On The Team

My first impression of Isaiah Likely was he would only be a move tight end, but he’s more than that. The athleticism, the hands, and the ability to get open are all there. What was most surprising was how effective a blocker he was. He needs to continue improving in this area, but I love seeing his willingness and competitiveness.

The Commanders should have a healthy Logan Thomas, John Bates, and Sammie Reyes at tight end next season. Ricky Seales-Jones was a serviceable receiving option at the position, but he’s off to the New York Giants. Likely could easily replace Seales-Jones as the backup tight end. His versatility to play from just about anywhere in the formation can be used to create mismatches that favor the offense. This also allows him to get on the field with a variety of personnel groupings. Scott Turner’s offense includes a lot of deep passes and Likely has the ability to make those plays down the field. Carson Wentz has thrived with athletic tight end targets and he’d have two with a healthy Thomas and Likely. If the Commanders are interested in maximizing flexibility on offense, Likely is an ideal prospect.