Getty Ravens TE Isaiah Likely recorded a career-high 8 catches and 103 receiving yards in a regular season game on January 8, 2023.
Several first-year pros that the Baltimore Ravens either drafted or signed as undrafted free agents last spring shined bright in their respective 2022 regular-season finales. Most of them got their most extensive playing time of the year in Week 18 and almost all of them capitalized on their extended opportunities by achieving career first or setting new milestones.
The brightest stars of the bunch were fourth-round tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar who combined for more than half of the team’s receiving yardage total with 152 combined and almost double the total number of receptions of the team’s other pass catchers (12-7).
“Those guys are going to be really good players for many years to come, no question about it,” head coach John Harbaugh in his postgame press conference.
Likely set new career highs in both receptions and receiving yards with 8 catches for 103 yards for his first 100-plus-yard receiving game. He made tough snags all over the field, showed off his impressive run-after-catch ability, and made a great contested catch down the left sideline over universally loathed cornerback Eli Apple for a 28-yard gain.
A little Rookie-to-Rookie magic for the Baltimore Ravens, as Anthony Brown flings one up to Isaiah Likely down the sideline, who makes a terrific catch, wrestling the ball away from the DB.
“It just put my confidence back higher than what it was, just showing that I am who I am, at the end of the day,” Likely said in his postgame press conference.
Kolar made his NFL debut last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers but logged just two snaps and didn’t even get targeted. Three of his four career receptions went for over 10 yards and moved the chains including a pair of 14-yarders and a 15-yarder on his very first catch.
First career catch for @charliekolar_ 💜
📺: CBS
Undrafted rookie quarterback Anthony Brown was the one throwing them the ball in his most extensive action of the season. It marked his first career start and after a rocky start where he threw an ill-advised interception, had another pass bounce off the hands of the intended receiver into the grasp of a defender, and got strip-sacked for a touchdown in the first half, he played with much better poise in the second half.
“I just needed to get the speed of it and get comfortable with the plays that I haven’t ran all year, and just get the timing of it,” Brown said in his postgame press conference.
He threw for 71 more passing yards than 2023 Pro Bowler Joe Burrow in just two more attempts (44-42), finishing with a career-high 286 which was the second-highest by a Ravens quarterback of the season according to Pro Football Reference.
Coach Harbaugh on big contributions from the rookie class:
“I told y’all that we had the best rookie class drafted,” Likely said. “I still stand on that point, even with everything going on. It just shows that when you put us in those moments, we’re going to make those plays.”
David Ojabo’s ‘Dream Came True’ With First Career Sack
Every rookie edge defender dreams about and feverishly anticipates notching their first career sack and the second-round pick who the Ravens selected with the No. 45 overall pick out of Michigan was no different heading into this game. He had to wait longer than most because a torn Achilles he suffered at his Pro Day caused him to miss all of training camp, the preseason, and the first 13 games of his inaugural season in the league.
After seeing the field for just one defensive snap in his NFL debut in Week 15, Ojabo played a much larger role in Week 18 and recorded his first career sack on Burrow, forcing a fumble in the process.
FIRST SACK FOR OJABO AND GETS THE STRIP 👑
Tune in on CBS!
“Ever since I snapped my Achilles, (I’ve been) just trying to get back to doing what I do,” Ojabo said in his postgame press conference. “Getting that ball out. Getting to them quarterbacks.”
He has the potential to be an ‘X’ factor for the Ravens in the postseason as a situational pass rusher with a nose for the football. They will need more timely plays and turnovers like the one he forced on his first career sack to give their middling offense more chances to score with a short field.
The First and Last Pick Made a Splash
Defensive back Kyle Hamilton who they selected in the first round out of Notre Dame continues to be a force in multiple facets of the game. On defense, logged four total tackles including one solo and a pass deflection as he beast on the box that blew up several plays at the line of scrimmage. He also made his presence felt on special teams as well on coverage units and made a solo tackle on their first punt of the second half.
Running back Tyler Badie who they selected in the sixth round out of Missouri finally saw his first action of the regular season and made an immeadate impact, except it wasn’t for the team that drafted him. He terminated his practice squad contract with the team on December 29, 2022, and signed to the Dever Broncos‘ active roster. In his new team’s 31-28 Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he took his first career touch 24 yards into the end zone for his first career touchdown.
Certified Badie.™️
📺: CBS | @Only1Badie
Tyler Linderbaum Finishes Rookie Year With High Marks
The Ravens’ second first-round pick was their most consistent and impactful first-year player of the entire bunch and he not only silenced many of his doubters but he established himself as one of the best centers in the league in year one.
Linderbaum and fourth-round punter Jordan Stout were the only day-one starters to start and appear in every game. He missed just two of a possible 1096 total snaps for the team and according to Pro Football Focus was the fourth-best run-blocking center in the league.
He also had a standout performance in the season finale earning an overall grade of 79.2 which was the second-highest among all centers and he finished the regular season as the No. 6 ranked center in the league with a 74.7 overall grade per PFF.
Linderbaum faced another tough test in the final week of the regular season in his first matchup with Bengals’ elite run-stuffing defensive tackle D.J. Reader and once again, he rose to the occasion and had a good game as a road grader in the run game.
Ben Powers and Tyler Linderbaum combo’d all-world nose tackle D.J. Reader into the earth on the first play from scrimmage Sunday. Ran right at him.
This Saturday is going to be a war of attrition.