Baltimore Ravens 2020 season outlook: Nick Boyle

Tight ends are a very important part of what the Baltimore Ravens like to do offensively, so we can expect Nick Boyle to once again be a prominent player.

Mark Andrews was all the rage in 2019 after catching 10 touchdown receptions in 15 games, which by the way was the most second-most in the league and first among all tight ends. His performance was all the more impressive when you take into account he started just four games. Who started all the other games, you ask? A guy by the name of Nick Boyle.

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The casual Baltimore Ravens fan may have never heard of Nick Boyle before now, and it’s a shame because of how critical his role if for the team. That may be hard to wrap your head around considering he caught just two touchdowns last year, but 2019 was a big-time breakout for Boyle.

Nick Boyle put up career bests across the board with 31 receptions, 321-yards, 10.4 YPR, and two touchdowns. Boyle had never caught a touchdown in his four seasons prior to 2019, so it was a big deal to see him score twice.

Still not impressed? Well, remember that those 31 catches Boyle reeled in last season was as Baltimore’s second, maybe even third tight end behind Andrews and the recently traded Hayden Hurst. Where Boyle had the edge over them, and why he started 15 games in 2019, was as a blocker. It’s a trait that Boyle has mastered in his five NFL seasons. It was no accident that the 2019 Baltimore Ravens rushed for the most yards of any team ever with perhaps the best blocking tight end in football.

With Hurst gone, there will be more opportunity for Boyle to grow a bigger role in the passing game, as well. Hurst vacates 39 targets, and while there are expectations for the wide receivers to see more targets this year, there’s just as much reason to believe those 39 targets will be distributed to Boyle and Andrews.

An established and elite run blocker, Nick Boyle remains a key to the Ravens offense. Now there’s reason to believe that his receiving numbers could also increase. All in all, 2020 could be Boyle’s best season yet.

While Nick Boyle has never been a flashy, stat-stuffing player, something that’s unlikely to change in 2020, he will remain the unheralded and underrated player that the Baltimore Ravens entrust a large role of their offense to. It may not show up on the box score, but don’t underrate how important Boyle is to this offense in 2020. These numbers are certainly modest expectations, but a larger role in the passing game could inflate these.

Nick Boyle 2020 projected stats: 30 receptions, 350-yards, three touchdowns