Lamar Jackson has lost one of his reliable targets, and the Baltimore Ravens are now scrambling to fill a significant hole in their tight end room. With Isaiah Likely departing in free agency after four seasons in Baltimore, the team must now look for new options to support Mark Andrews in the offense.

“While Mark Andrews was re-signed to be the move tight end in Baltimore, the Ravens lost Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar over the first week of free agency,” Bill Barnwell of ESPN wrote while discussing potential team fits for David Njoku. “The Ravens signed Durham Smythe to help fill in for Kolar, and I wouldn’t be surprised if general manager Eric DeCosta used a Day 3 pick on a blocking tight end to develop over the next few years. But Njoku would be taking over for Likely here as the second tight end in Baltimore’s offense.”

Likely ultimately landed a lucrative deal elsewhere in free agency. With Mark Andrews already locked in on a major extension, the Ravens were hesitant to spend heavily on a second tight end. This allowed the New York Giants to swoop in and sign Likely to a three-year, $40 million deal in March 2026. 

But as Likely made his move, the Ravens were left with a significant hole on their depth chart. The team lost their top blocking tight end, Charlie Kolar, who joined the Los Angeles Chargers on a lucrative contract. These moves have left a significant gap in the roster, as the team has only veteran Durham Smythe and Andrews remaining as primary options.

To address this void, experts are already looking at potential veteran replacements to help support Lamar Jackson.

While the Ravens have been quiet in the early stages of the “legal tampering” period, only making a splash by signing offensive lineman John Simpson in free agency, the pressure is on to find a new tight end.

David Njoku’s name keeps coming up as a possible option for the TE position

The Baltimore Ravens are facing a pretty tough offseason. Right now, Mark Andrews remains the team’s primary receiving tight end. This could create a gap, as the Ravens’ offense has historically used two-tight-end sets frequently. To keep their playing style working, they really need to find someone else to step up.

Lately, analysts have floated the Ravens as a possible landing spot for David Njoku from their rivals, the Cleveland Browns. Even big networks like ESPN are reporting on this. Since the Ravens let their other tight ends go to focus on Andrews, they need someone as talented as Njoku to fill the gap. Adding him would give Lamar Jackson another dynamic weapon, crucial for competing against the league’s top defenses

If you just look at the stats, Njoku didn’t have a ton of yards last season, but that wasn’t his fault. Cleveland’s inconsistent quarterback play and offensive struggles limited his production. Even though his 2025 stats, 33 catches for 293 yards, look average, he is still one of the most athletic and underrated players in the AFC.

In Baltimore, he would have a much better role. The Ravens’ new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, loves keeping multiple tight ends involved in the game. His scheme is designed to feature multiple tight ends, allowing both Andrews and Njoku to thrive simultaneously.