Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
As the beginning of NFL free agency gets closer, we’ll be providing breakdowns of some of the available players that the New Orleans Saints could look to pursue. New Orleans has its top tight end in the building with Juwan Johnson having received a three-year extension before the 2025 season, but that doesn’t mean the Saints should avoid adding more to the room, especially with some departures expected.
That first brings us to Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely. Arguably underutilized as a receiver with the Ravens, Likely could be a potential temptation to line up opposite or decide Johnson. But one sneakily successful area of his game could make him a great fit for the team’s build at the position.
Likely’s Measureables
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 245 pounds
Arm length: 31.875 inches
40-yard-dash: 4.8 seconds
Vertical: 36 inches
Broad jump:10-foot-3
RAS: 4.86
Likely’s 2025 Statistics
Catches: 27
Receiving yards: 307
Touchdown catches: 1
If 27 receptions for 307 receiving yards and a solo touchdown catch seems confusing for an athletic pass-catcher like Likely, reassured that the befuddlement is warranted. During his collegiate years at Coastal Carolina, before becoming a fourth-round pick for the Ravens, he was a true threat as a receiver.
In his final year, he reeled in 59 receptions for 912 receiving yards and topped the Sun Belt Conference with 12 touchdown catches.The closest stat line that Likely has built since being in the NFL was his 42/477/6 season in 2023. That’s no fault of Likely’s.
So if not for the receiving prowess, what is it that might make him a strong fit with the Saints? His success as a run blocker.
It’s not synonymous with Likely’s game, run blocking. But his performance in that area is surprisingly strong. The potential free agent spent 218 snaps as a run blocker, per Pro Football Focus. Using the analytic site’s grading, Likely’s 66.5 run blocking grade ranked No. 13 out of 52 tight ends with more than 200 run blocking snaps in 2025.
The highest-graded Saint in that metric? Johnson, with a 47.2, who was the No. 50 tight end on the same list. Now, run blocking was never expected to be the reason that Johnson was paid. He made his money as a pass-catcher in 2025. That will be the expectation in 2026 as well.
The thing is, no other Saints tight end reached 200 snaps in a run blocking role in 2025. So having a player like Likely that can not only handle a larger workload in that area, but be the second threat as a pass-catcher could be an intriguing move for New Orleans.
The second-highest run blocking snaps at tight end went to pending free agent Foster Moreau, who very well could be back in 2026. He manned 153 such snaps, grading only marginally better than Johnson in the process at 50.0. With an average of about 14 run blocking snaps per game, a full 17 game season would have put him in position to see at least 230-plus plays as a run blocker.
If those reps will be available in 2026, Likely could be an interesting target. Add to that the untapped potential he possesses as a pass-catcher and head coach Kellen Moore could have a very fun group of tight ends to scheme up.
