One of the biggest concerns about the Baltimore Ravens' roster remains their lack of proven pass-catchers outside of Zay Flowers. Yes, rookie Ja'Kobi Lane stole the show throughout training camp thanks to his frequent highlight plays, but there's no denying it's an unproven group, and we'll have to see how Lane looks in the regular season.
Tight end Mark Andrews is being forgotten about by some in this equation. Given that he'll be 31 before the season starts and is coming off a down season, I get this to some extent. Additionally, the Ravens tight end room struggled during training camp. However, the possibility of Andrews having a bounce-back season can't be ruled out, and in fact it might be likely.
Declan Doyle's new-look offense will utilize the passing game more, and in turn, the Ravens need players outside of Zay to be reliable threats. Despite Andrews' age and a down 2025 season, he's one of the safest bets to do this.
Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews can return to his typical standards in 2026
Throughout his career, Andrews has been a security blanket for Lamar Jackson. Whether it's on short-down plays or in the red zone, Andrews has long been a consistent and reliable target for the Ravens. There's a reason why he's the Ravens' all-time receiving leader.
Now, Andrews is coming off a season in which he recorded just 422 yards and five touchdowns. Catching just 40 percent of his red-zone targets adds to the possibility of Andrews' down season being more of a decline than a coincidence.
Still, context matters: Lamar missed four games last season, and even when he played, injuries hindered him. Plus, Todd Monken's offense ranked last in pass attempts. It's worth noting that all five of Andrews' touchdowns came in games where Jackson played and that all five of Andrews' highest-yardage games were with Jackson under center.
With more volume and a healthy Jackson, Andrews should be able to rediscover his groove. Let's not forget it wasn't long ago that Andrews was a red-zone monster; back in 2024, he caught 11 touchdowns. If he can provide somewhere around 700 yards and be an efficient red-zone threat again, that would qualify as a bounce-back season.
Andrews simply being a bit more effective in down-to-down situations while returning to his elite red-zone standards could help him reach this level again. And considering the Ravens' new system, this isn't a far-fetched goal. Without a doubt, this version of Andrews would give the Ravens a dependable second pass-catcher. Andrews bouncing back, paired with the possibility of Lane or Devontez Walker making explosive plays in any given moment, would certainly ease some of the concerns about Baltimore's supporting pass-catchers.
The flip side is that if Andrews' struggles continue and the Ravens' young pass-catchers don't offer much consistency, this problem could cap Baltimore's offensive ceiling. Ultimately, though, I'm choosing to be optimistic and believe that an improved situation can help Andrews bounce back.
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