Mark Andrews is a building block for Baltimore Ravens offense

Shannon Sharpe, Todd Heap, Dennis Pitta… Mark Andrews is the next great Ravens tight end:

Mark Andrews was a big find for the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Andrews had about as good of a rookie season as anybody could have expected. He had 34 receptions for 552 yards and three touchdowns. One thing is clear, this is just the beginning for him.

Andrews had some the biggest plays of the season. There is no doubt about the importance of his touchdown in Los Angeles against the Chargers. Right after the Chargers got a fumble recovery and a quick touchdown, Lamar Jackson found Andrews for a 68 yard touchdown. In Jackson’s second start, Andrews caught a 74 yard pass from him.

Andrews did two very important things in his first year. He established himself as a play-maker and he built a chemistry with Jackson. Andrews figures to be a central piece of the Ravens offense for years to come. While Hayden Hurst had his moments, Andrews proved to be the most promising tight end on the team. With Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams both being free agents this offseason, Andrews could see a larger share of the work in 2019.

Andrews and Hurst figure to be the future at the tight end position. In one draft class the Ravens found two play-makers for the offense. This is huge considering how little the Ravens have in their receivers room. Andrews comes into the season with something to build upon. He got a taste of what being a play-maker in the NFL is all about. The 2019 season is a chance for the Ravens to make him a superstar at the tight end position.

In the following tweet, is video of John Harbaugh from the NFL Scouting combine. He mentioned that he was looking for “a big jump”from Andrews and Hurst. Harbaugh has reason for this confidence. Andrews looks the part. He has a chance to be a Todd Heap like player.

One of the most notable parts of all this is that Andrews showed how reliable he was. Andrews showed that if you put the ball in his vicinity he is going to bring in the reception. He is more of a receiving tight end, but he did show that he can do some blocking. Andrews is the most exciting tight end to be in Baltimore since Pitta hung up his cleats. No offense is intended towards players like Boyle, Williams and Ben Watson, but Andrews has a chance to be one of the best tight ends in the league, not just another guy.

The chemistry between Jackson and Andrews is going to help in 2019. They have a good starting point. There is a lot of talk going on about getting Jackson a big bodied player to target, but that’s exactly what Andrews is. Greg Roman and the Ravens are building an entirely new offense around Jackson and Andrews is one of the first building blocks.