Giants Sign Former Ravens Tight End Isaiah Likely to Three-Year Deal

As was widely anticipated, the Giants have added another tight end with whom head coach John Harbaugh is very familiar.

Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely is joining the New York Giants in free agency. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens, under head coach John Harbaugh, ran 12-personnel at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL last season. And now that Harbaugh is head coach of the New York Giants, that practice appears “likely” to continue.

The Giants reached an agreement with former Ravens right end Isaiah Likely on a three-year, $40 million contract that can grow up to $47.5 million per multiple media sources. Likely joins a Giants tight ends room that includes Theo Johnson and Chris Manhertz, who was re-signed earlier today.

Likely, 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, will turn 26 next month. He is a former fourth-round pick by the Ravens, selected in the 2022 draft.

Over his four-year career, he has appeared in 63 games with 26 starts and has caught 135 balls out of 194 pass targets for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns.

What this means for the Giants' offense

Former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Likely gives the Giants another big-bodied target in the passing game for quarterback Jaxson Dart. The tight end is versatile enough to line up all over the field, including fullback, inline, out wide, and in the slot. This gives the Giants maximum versatility in their offense.

Likely has a career average depth of target (ADOT) of 7.2 yards.  He has also drastically cut down on his career dropped passes after posting six in his rookie season in 2022. Last season, he had just one drop in 36 pass targets.

But more importantly, the Giants are believed to be looking to run the ball effectively, and to do that, they need quality blockers.

Likely has always been a solid run blocker for the Ravens, posting a 66.5 PFF blocking grade last season, his second-best since his rookie season, when he posted a 76.5 grade.

This move also means that Daniel Bellinger’s time with the Giants is officially over. New York will now have four tight ends on their roster with NFL experience, including Likely, Chris Manhertz (re-signed earlier in the day), Theo Johnson, and Thomas Fidone II.

The Giants could still be looking to add a fullback to the mix, with Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard a commonly mentioned target.

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