2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Isaiah Likely

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Isaiah Likely, 6-4/245 Tight End Coastal Carolina

Isaiah Likely Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous receiving tight end

Smooth route runner

Good speed

Tracks the ball well

Late hands

Yards after the catch

Good feel

Finds the soft spot in zone

Able to make leaping grabs

Red-zone weapon

Adjusts well to the ball

Big hands

Upside

Athletic

Weaknesses:

Not a good blocker

Size limitations

Needs more strength

Summary: Likely spent the last three years as one of the most consistently productive receiving tight ends in college football. He broke out in 2019 with 32 receptions for 431 yards and five touchdowns. He was even better in the shortened 2020 season, averaging 20 yards per catch on his way to 30 receptions for 601 yards and five touchdowns. Likely then had his best season in 2021, collecting 59 catches for 912 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Likely is a solid receiving tight end who could be a valuable contributor and a mismatch problem for defense in the NFL. He is a good athlete with speed to generate separation from coverage and is a quality route runner. He shows a nice burst out of his breaks to create space from defenders and get open for his quarterback. Likely has nice twitch and second-gear quickness after the catch. He does a nice job of working the middle seam and slants, plus he is capable along the sideline. With his surprising speed, he can challenge defenses in any part of the field. Likely is a strong, tough runner who could be a nice receiving weapon as a pro.



As a blocker, Likely has room for improvement for the NFL. He should add strength because he can struggle to sustain blocks, and he could stand to show more willingness to block. While Likely will never be an impactful blocker, he can improve enough to contribute somewhat in the ground game and help protect his quarterback. Likely needs up his intensity and competitiveness to show more fight as a blocker and go through the whistle. Desire alone would make a significant improvement immediately.

In the NFL, Likely could be a good F – movement – tight end to contribute to a passing attack. Given his size and blocking limitations, however, he will have to work in a platoon with a Y – blocking – tight end. Likely still brings lots of versatility because he has and can line up as H-back and/or wide receiver. Likely is a chess piece who can be moved around to create mismatches for his offense. He will likely go on the second day of the 2022 NFL Draft.



Player Comparison: Jordan Reed. Likely kind of reminds me of Reed. Both are smooth route-runners with quickness, good hands, and yards-after-the-catch ability. They also have some blocking limitations because of their size. Reed was a second-day pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and Likely could go on Day 2 this year during the 2022 NFL Draft.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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