Ravens Rookie Charlie Kolar Draws Comparisons to Mark Andrews
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens see a lot of similarities between rookie tight end Charlie Kolar and Mark Andrews.
Kolar is a big target at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and has solid hands just like Andrews. Both players are also solid route runners and find ways to get open in the middle of the field.
"Kolar and Mark [Andrews] – so you see a lot of similarities," Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz said. "The spatial feel that Mark had … Now, Mark, again, we’re talking about a first-team All-Pro, exceptional player. Mark, his spatial awareness was legit, coming out. That’s the one thing you can hang your hat on, because really, you didn’t know how fast he was. He ran a little bit faster, and Charlie kind of did the same thing. He ran a little faster than you thought he’d run, and it’s just a big man who’s athletic.
"They just know how to cover ground, bend, work in and out of routes. So, there are similarities to their game, but I’m not going to put him [Charlie Kolar] up in Mark’s area yet – not yet."
Charlie Kolar
Baltimore selected Kolar with its third fourth-round pick from Iowa State. Kolar led all Big 12 tight ends in receptions (62), receiving yards (756), and touchdown receptions (6), breaking his own season school records by tight ends in catches and receiving yards. His 62 receptions are the 10th‐best season total overall in school history.
With the 139th pick, the Ravens took another athletic pass-catching tight end with Coastal Carolina's Isaiah Likely. He has the ability to stretch the field and had five career receptions of 50-plus yards.
Likely also had 27 career touchdowns and over 2,000 yards receiving in four years at Coastal Carolina.
“Isaiah probably is attached more to the end of the line of scrimmage than Charlie was, but they’re really both like receiving, F-type tight ends, where you can put them in the slot, and they’re going to give a safety a challenge, they’re going to make a safety work," Hortiz said. "They’ve got size to be a mismatch for a nickel. [They’re] both very competitive as perimeter blockers. They understand angles, and how to get on players. So, [they’re] just kind of different body types, but [have] similar type [of] styles, I would say.”
Coach John Harbaugh said he does envision a scenario where he carries four tight ends.
