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Ravens Offensive Rookie Report After the Bye

Ravens Offensive Rookie Report After the Bye: With the Ravens now past their bye week, it is a good time to check up on the rookies.
Ravens Rookie

The Baltimore Ravens had a good 2022 NFL Draft class by many accounts. Pundits and fans alike were amazed by yet another masterclass by general manager Eric DeCosta. Many thought that Baltimore’s draft class showed a lot of promise and could provide the side with some instant starters. So far, the class has been solid in their first year in the league.

This year, the Ravens have five rookies on offense. As with all rookie classes, they have been a mixed bag so far. However, there is promise, and a lot of potential.

With the Ravens now past their bye week and sitting at 6-3, it seems a good time to check up on how the rookies are doing. Here is the Ravens offensive rookie report at the bye:

READ MORE: Ravens Path to the Playoffs | Ravens Defensive Rookie Report

Ravens Offensive Rookie Report After the Bye: Grades and Analysis

Note – grades represent how well the rookies have played so far, not how good the pick was.

Round 1, #25: Center, Tyler Linderbaum (Iowa)

In the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Ravens traded wide receiver Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and a third-round selection to the Arizona Cardinals for the 25th overall pick. With this pick, they drafted Tyler Linderbaum, their new starting center.

Linderbaum was heralded by many pundits as a top-ten talent in the draft. What made him fall to 25 was his positional value, centers are generally considered the lowest-value positions outside of special teams. Try telling that to Linderbaum though.

The Iowa product has been Baltimore’s best rookie. He has started from day one and has been quietly impressive. Maybe not a household name yet, but Ravens fans know just how vital he is to the team’s offense. So far, Linderbaum has played in all but two offensive snaps this season. He registered a solid 73.9 PFF grade against the New Orleans Saints this season, an impressive score, and yet it was a fairly average performance for the rookie center.

Last season, we saw Creed Humphrey play at an All-Pro level for the Kansas City Chiefs. Linderbaum has undergone a similar arc to the former Oklahoma Sooner, and he is currently a favorite for the Pro Bowl. Finding a long-term, elite starter at center makes this a top-notch selection by DeCosta.

Grade: A+

Round 4, #110: Offensive tackle, Daniel Faalele (Minnesota)

The Ravens threw Daniel Faalele into the deep end at the start of the season. Ronnie Stanley’s recovery had taken much longer than expected, leaving Ju’Wuan Johnson and Patrick Mekari to fill in at left tackle. Both, however, picked up injuries, with Johnson ending up on IR.

Up stepped Faalele against the Patriots and Buffalo Bills. He struggled against the Patriots, giving up multiple sacks to Deatrich Wise Jr., before coaching adjustments helped him out in the second half. There was a marked improvement in the Bills game, but he is clearly not NFL-ready.

Credit where credit is due for Faalele. He stepped up when his team needed him (as is expected of fourth-round picks) and showed good fight and physicality. His technique must be improved but there are signs of promise.

Grade: C+

Round 4, #128: Tight end, Charlie Kolar (Iowa State)

The Ravens took two rookie tight ends in this draft, emphasizing just how much they value the position. They did this despite already paying Mark Andrews and Nick Boyle significant money.

Charlie Kolar was heralded as an elite blocker at Iowa State. He was especially excellent as a downfield blocker thanks to his mobility, but he also flashed as a receiver too. In many senses, Kolar is what the NFL world considers a ‘traditional’ tight end. Having been drafted by Baltimore, he was projected to be the TE3 or TE4 in a very deep tight end group. It was expected that he would be primarily used in heavy packages.

Despite the promise that Kolar showed, he suffered a hernia injury that ruled him out of the first nine weeks of the season. He was recently lifted from the IR though, making it likely that he will debut for the team in Week 11.

Grade: N/A (yet to play)

Round 4, #139: Tight end, Isaiah Likely (Coastal Carolina)

Isaiah Likely is no doubt the surprise package of this Ravens rookie class. Likely was hyped by the Ravens in the off-season and he was said to be impressing coaches at minicamp with his silky route-running and run-after-catch ability. He was even touted as the answer to Baltimore’s struggles at receiver as many believed he would be the Ravens third receiver (behind Andrews and Rashod Bateman).

Despite all the hype, Likely had a slow start to the campaign. He finally erupted against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, flashing his sky-high potential in the absence of both Andrews and Bateman. Though Andrews is expected to return soon, Bateman is out for the rest of the season meaning Likely is set for a big role for the rest of the season. Baltimore could look to make some offensive free agent signings for their playoffs push but, even if that happens, expect Likely to retain a large target share.

On the season, Likely has 17 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns. In the last two weeks, he recorded 101 of those yards and both touchdowns.

Grade: A+

Round 6, #196: Running back, Tyler Badie (Missouri)

Tyler Badie currently sits on Baltimore’s practice squad. He has yet to create any buzz despite the numerous injuries that the Ravens have seen at running back.

With Kenyan Drake showing improvement through the season and Gus Edwards also demonstrating his value, it is hard to see when Badie can get more playing time. On the assumption that the Ravens lose some depth at the position this off-season, Badie could be elevated for the 2023 season.

Grade: C

Curtis Leung

Curtis Leung

Curtis Leung is a UK-based writer covering the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens for LWOS since 2022. He is interested in the NFL, association football, NBA and field hockey but is keen to learn about other sports too.

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