Dynasty Rookie Prospect Profile: Isaiah Likely (2022 Fantasy Football)

There are two types of tight ends. The in-line blocking type, the traditional tight end, is called your Y tight end. Then there is the move all around the formation type called the F-role tight role. Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely is clearly an F-role tight end.

Likely was recruited as an athlete coming out of high school. He was the 172nd overall athlete in the 2018 high school class and the 11th best prospect in the state of Massachusetts. As a two-star recruit, Likely didn’t receive offers from the top schools in the country. Instead, he ended up at Coastal Carolina and became a star tight end.

Early in his college career, Likely had an impact on the field for the Chanticleers. Despite only 12 receptions for 106 receiving yards as a freshman, Likely tied for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns. The following year, Likely more than doubled his receptions (32) and receiving yards (431) while again leading the team with five receiving touchdowns.

As a junior in 2020, Likely improved his play. Despite playing two fewer games, Likely had 170 more receiving yards than in 2019. However, he finished third on the team with five receiving touchdowns. While he appeared limited at that point in his career, Likely had a breakout season in 2021.

Likely became a focal point of the Coastal Carolina passing attack his senior year. He had 59 receptions for 912 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, all career-highs in 2021. His 912 receiving yards finished third in the Sun Belt Conference, while his 12 touchdowns finished first. Furthermore, his 12 touchdowns were three better than any other player in the Sun Belt Conference and tied for the eighth-most in all of FBS.

He was also a big play waiting to happen in college. Likely averaged 15.4 yards per reception in his college career, including 17 yards per reception over the past two years at Coastal Carolina. Furthermore, he averaged at least 16 yards per reception in 17 of his 42 career college games, including four games in 2021.

Following his impressive senior season, many believed Likely would challenge to be the first tight end picked during the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he will likely be a mid-round selection after a disappointing pre-draft process.

Isaiah Likely 2022 NFL Draft Profile

 
* Recruit Stars via 247Sports

2022 NFL Draft Prediction: Round three or four

Isaiah Likely College Statistics

Isaiah Likely Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

Likely has the size and build of a new-age move or F tight end. At just under 6’5″ and 245 pounds, Likely can create mismatches all over the field. His best moments at Coastal Carolina came in the slot or as an H-back, and they would create a mismatch against a smaller or slower defender, giving Likely the opportunity to make a play for the Chanticleers.

However, athlete testing numbers were disappointing. He ran the short shuttle drill in 4.57 seconds, the 11th percentile for tight ends. At his pro day, Likely ran a reported 40-time between 4.8 and 4.85 seconds at 238 pounds. Even if graded as a tight end, that time is massively underwhelming. That said, Likely did test well in one area: vertical explosiveness.

He recorded a 36-inch vertical jump at the combine, putting him in the 83rd percentile. Likely had a 124-inch broad jump at his pro day, putting him in the 93rd percentile for all tight ends. Both numbers show up on game day as Likely could jump with anyone on the field.

Likely was the go-to target for Coastal Carolina inside the red zone. They repeatedly threw him targets to take advantage of his leaping ability. Whether it was a 50-50 fade throw or a back shoulder target, Likely was the guy the Chanticleers leaned on inside the 20. However, most of his success came on designed targets or blown coverage.

There are multiple examples of Likely having a target drawn up for him rather than consistently winning one-on-one against man coverage. Coastal Carolina would repeatedly run on a shallow crossing route concept to get him open.

Likely would line up on the line of scrimmage as a traditional or Y tight end on these plays. He would start the play blocking for a second or two. As the quarterback play faked to the weak side, Likely would slip out on a crossing route to the opposite side. The far side receiver would run a deep over or go route to clear out the defense. Once Likely broke free from the traffic in the middle of the field, the quarterback would find him alone on the empty side of the field for the easy pitch and catch.

Now, this is a concept NFL teams use all the time. However, Coastal Carolina repeatedly used it to get Likely open. Furthermore, several of his 12 receiving touchdowns last season came off this concept or blown coverage. Rarely did Likely win one-on-one in man coverage between the 20s.

Unfortunately, his 4.8 40-time shows up on the field as well. Despite facing weaker competition at Coastal Carolina, Likely never displayed breakaway speed. In 2021 against Arkansas State, Likely had a 99-yard touchdown reception. However, it came off blown coverage where Arkansas State completely forgot to cover him.

When Likely made the catch, the nearest defender was roughly 5-6 yards away. By the time Likely crossed the goal line, the defender was just under a yard away from making contact. If he struggles to run away from an Arkansas State defensive back with a five-yard head start, how can we expect him to make plays downfield in the NFL?

Thanks to the athletic concerns and poor testing numbers, Likely has fallen out of the TE1 conversation and won’t be a top 50 pick. However, his production and size will keep him in the third or fourth-round mix.

Player Comp

Dawson Knox (ceiling) | Adam Trautman (floor)

As an F role tight end, Likely won’t be asked to block often on the line of scrimmage against defensive linemen or bigger linebackers. That is a good thing, as he struggled in those situations at Coastal Carolina. Instead, Likely is at his best playing the big slot role. Like Knox, Likely can also play out wide as a receiver and will have a role in the red zone. The only question with Likely is whether or not he can overcome the lack of over-the-top speed.

If he can, his career should turn out similar to Knox’s. He could turn into a productive starting-caliber tight end in the NFL and provide fantasy value as a low-end TE1. However, if Likely can’t make up for the lack of over-the-top speed, he will likely become a draft bust and fall out of fantasy relevance like Trautman.

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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.