The Denver Broncos added veteran tight end Evan Engram to their tight end room last season, and he was supposed to be Sean Payton’s ‘Joker’. There was a lot of hype surrounding this addition, but unfortunately, the signing fell flat. Engram only hauled in one touchdown all season, and you could count the number of impact plays he made on one hand. The rest of the tight end room didn’t provide much either. Adam Trautman was basically your starter and contributed as a blocker, but his pass game upside is rather limited. Nate Adkins was injured for most of the year, Lucas Krull was hurt, and rookie Caleb Lohner spent the year on the practice squad.
The Broncos tight end room was a disappointment once again, and it’s an area they need to focus on this offseason. One player who may interest them, if he hits the open market, is Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely. He is a 6-4, 245-pound tight end who has been a key member of the Ravens offense these past few seasons and could be looking for a bigger role elsewhere this offseason.
Likely has played behind Mark Andrews in Baltimore, but despite that, has been a productive tight end the past few seasons. Through four seasons, Likely has 135 receptions for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdown receptions. This past year, Likely, like most of the Ravens, had a down year and only totaled 27 receptions for 307 yards and 1 touchdown. Now, he enters free agency looking for a fresh start elsewhere and could make a lot of sense for the tight-end-needy Denver Broncos.
Age: 25 (turns 26 in April)
Experience: 5th NFL season
2025 stats: 27 receptions for 307 yards and 1 touchdown
Why the Denver Broncos will sign TE Isaiah Likely
Likely is the type of tight end that the Denver Broncos need. He can play inline and is a willing blocker. On top of that, he can line up in the slot, outside, in the backfield, and be a dangerous receiving threat as well. The Broncos have a lot of players who are either blockers or pass catchers, but not many who can do both. Well, Likely can be that guy and help replace veteran Adam Trautman’s role in the Broncos’ offense while also being an upgrade as a receiver.
Veteran Evan Engram’s contract likely keeps him in Denver for one more season, so the two could provide the Broncos with two pass-catching threats at tight end. It would also allow the Broncos to draft another tight end and allow them to develop behind Likely and Engram, and eventually take over for Engram as the season progresses or after he leaves via free agency next year.
Either way, the Broncos need to overhaul their tight end position.
Likely should not cost a ton either. He has never topped 500 yards receiving or 42 receptions in a season, only had 26 career starts through four seasons, and is coming off a down year for the Ravens. So, the Broncos could potentially “buy low” here and add a productive tight end to their offense.
Why the Broncos will not sign TE Isaiah Likely
If Engram does return, the Broncos may look for a more traditional inline blocking tight end. While Likely is a good and willing blocker, he is not your blocking specialist that Sean Payton will be looking for (his teammate, Charlie Kolar, is, though).
Adam Trautman was not a huge factor in the passing game, and if they want to replace that role with someone similar, it is doubtful that Likely will be their target. Plus, Likely has stated he wants to have a bigger role with a new team, and with Engram already here, that may not be in the cards for him. The Broncos could sign a more traditional inline blocker, draft a tight end, and continue developing tight end Caleb Lohner instead of signing another pass-catcher in free agency.
I would love for the Broncos to add Likely to the offense, but I can understand if they don’t. Evan Engram takes up the pass-catching role, and while Likely is a willing blocker, he does not fit the traditional inline guy that Sean Payton likes to have. If the Broncos do move on from Engram, someone like Likely becomes well, more likely, in my opinion, but until then, I don’t see him being a realistic option.
As I mentioned previously, I believe they will sign a more traditional inline blocking specialist (or simply re-sign Trautman again), draft a tight end in the first three rounds, continue developing Lohner, and add some back-of-the-roster depth throughout the offseason.
If they decide to move on from Engram, that changes things drastically, but there has been no real talk of that so far.
