Why Nick Boyle is the Ravens most invaluable tight end

The Ravens have been leaning on the production of their tight ends all year. Mark Andrews has been able to produce as a pass catcher, but Nick Boyle is so pivotal in the running game that he could be their most important tight end.

The Ravens tight ends have received a lot of attention this year and for good reason. They catch passes, create mismatches for opposing defenses, and help block for the Ravens’ ball carriers. No team has figured out how to stop them just yet. One tight end that has flown under the radar is Boyle. He is the best blocking tight end on the roster and much of the Ravens rushing attack goes through him. When a Ravens game is on, it is clear how important Boyle is to the offense.

This past offseason the Ravens decided to sign Nick Boyle to a three year deal. For the average fan, this type of signing might have been somewhat of a head-scratcher. This is a player that had not even caught a touchdown pass yet, did not have eye-popping stats and had been suspended for PED’s. With that being said, the signing looks fantastic now as the Ravens are dominating teams at the line of scrimmage and Boyle is a big reason for that.

Nick Boyle has flown under the radar a little bit because of Andrews, and it is easy to see why. Andrews has been one of the most impressive pass-catching tight ends in the league. Andrews is currently in the top 5 in terms of tight end receiving numbers this year and leads all tight ends with 10 touchdowns. He gets the recognition and it is deserved, many of my friends are happy to have him on their fantasy football team. Boyle deserves much more recognition because the blocking he provides is invaluable to a team that runs the ball as much as the Ravens.

Boyle is essentially an offensive lineman playing tight end. In every game, you can point to a play where Boyle is blocking a defensive end one on one, which is very impressive considering Boyle is about 30-40 pounds lighter than a defensive end. When you have a player that can do that along with the other players like Marshal Yanda and Ronnie Stanley in the run blocking game, you can average over 200 yards a game rushing. This is a feat that has not been accomplished in my lifetime.

If we look strictly at snap counts, Boyle has 719 snaps compared to Andrews 456 snaps. Andrews can go catch the football, but Nick Boyle will come up and hit anybody in the running game. Without Boyle on the team, the Ravens rushing attack may look very different and be much less effective.

When you watch the Ravens offense where Boyle is lined up will tell the viewer where the run play is going much of the time. On many of Lamar Jackson’s runs, Boyle is the lead blocker, clearing the way for Lamar Jackson to do damage with his legs and get out of bounds. The Ravens do ask their other tight ends to block for Jackson, but not nearly as much as Nick Boyle. The next time the Ravens play, pay attention to Boyle and you will see one of the best tight ends in the league.