Tight Ends Will Still be 'Important' in Baltimore Ravens Offense Under Declan Doyle

After being a focal point in the schemes of the last two Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinators, the position is poised to keep being heavily featured under their new play-caller on that side of the ball.

Nov 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

It will remain to be seen what exactly the Baltimore Ravens' new offensive scheme will look like under first-year coordinator Declan Doyle until the regular season gets underway in September.

While it is being assumed that they could be transitioning to a more wide receiver-heavy personnel package, Doyle himself recently confirmed that the tight end position is still an "important" one because of the schematic flexibility that having multiple quality options with diverse skill sets can provide.

"It's a big thing obviously, with tight ends, especially in the league right now," Doyle said following the third and final session of OTAs earlier this week. "You watch it with what's going on (with the Los Angeles Rams) and some of these other places. Teams are playing a little bit heavier. A lot of times you can - that really is about dictating what the defense can do."

For the vast majority of the Lamar Jackson era, the tight end position has been the focal point of the Ravens offense both in the passing game and in run-blocking under former offensive coordinators Todd Monken from 2023-25 and Greg Roman from midway through 2018-2022.

Being a former tight end coach himself and having just served as a non-play-calling offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears in 2025 under Ben Johnson, where they heavily deployed multiple tight end sets, he knows the position is near and dear to his heart. Doyle is really excited for the tight group that the Ravens revamped this offseason after losing Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar and Pro Bowl fullback/tight end hybrid Patrick Ricard in free agency.

After admiring him from afar for the first eight years of his career, Doyle has been "really impressed" with Mark Andrews, the lone returner at the position on the roster. The three-time Pro Bowler and former First Team All-Pro is the franchise's all-time leader in touchdowns, receptions and receiving yards, and his work ethic is second to none.

"If he's not our hardest worker on offense, he's one of the hardest workers on offense," Doyle said. "You can see him all the time [during] special teams [practice], kind of honing in on his craft. He's really bought into trying to develop in the run game and continuing ... He's a guy that's been in the league for quite some time, and he's still looking to refine his game. So, that's something that you appreciate."

To help offset the loss of Kolar as a blocking specialist at the position and to aid him in implementing the new system, the Ravens signed veteran Durham Smythe in the initial wave of free agency after he spent 2025 playing under Doyle with the Bears.

"He's a great addition," Doyle said. "He does things exactly the way that you coach him. He's a guy that when you're pausing the tape, he's an example for young guys in the room."

Rookie duo is making a strong early impression

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Rolijah Hardy (21) tackles Alabama Crimson Tide tight end Josh Cuevas (80) in the first half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Speaking of the young guys in the room, the Ravens double-dipped at tight end in the NFL Draft for the fifth time in franchise history this past April with the selection of Matthew Hibner out of Southern Methodist University in the fourth round and Josh Cuevas out of Alabama in the fifth. Although pads have yet to come on, Doyle has been pleased by what he's been seeing from both first-year pros.

"They're different players, [They are a] different style of tight ends, but I am really impressed with Hibner [and] I am really impressed with Josh," Doyle said. "Those guys are working at it. They're both very smart. Rarely do they make the same mistake twice.

"I've been really happy – not surprised – but I'm really happy with their progress thus far. That room itself, Coach [Zack] Grossi, he's doing a great job of getting those guys ready to go for practice every day, and they're just continuing to check the boxes as we go."

The Ravens traded back into the fourth round to select Hibner, and general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters afterward that they envision him assuming the complementary pass-catching role that Likely once held.

Cuevas is a dynamic piece who can lineup inline at 'Y', in the slot and even in the backfield at 'H' back, but according to reports from practices open to the media, he's flashed more as a pass catcher between the two thus far. In the previous four instances when the Ravens double-dipped at tight end in the same draft, the second went on to outproduce and carve out a role earlier than the first.

If Cuevas can keep stacking strong showings and carry it over to the preseason, history could be primed to repeat itself.