When the Ravens picked Mark Andrews 86th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, the move might’ve seemed a bit unnecessary.
The Ravens’ first three picks had already been offensive players (Hayden Hurst, Lamar Jackson and Orlando Brown Jr.) and while the defense didn’t have many holes to fill, a second tight end in the team’s first four picks seemed a bit much.
But Andrews was the pick out of Oklahoma, joining his old teammate Brown — picked three selections earlier — in Baltimore.
And now, there’s no doubt who the Ravens top receiving target is.
Andrews led the team in targets (98), receptions (64), receiving yards (852) and receiving touchdowns (10) in 2019, his first Pro Bowl season. Of 14 players selected to the Pro Bowl from the 2018 NFL Draft, three of those selections were Ravens draft picks.
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Andrews found an immediate connection with Jackson as the duo flourished on the league’s best offense. After a promising start in both of their rookie seasons, the two turned potential into one of the league’s best quarterback-tight end combinations.
"He finds a way to get open,” Jackson said during the season. “I just have to throw him perfect passes. It also started in OTAs. He was doing a lot in OTAs, different plays, different schemes and defensive runs. He finds a way to get open. I just call it street ball."
Despite the Ravens’ run-heavy attack, Andrews ranked seventh in receptions amongst all tight ends, fifth in yards and first in touchdowns. Quite simply, he was one of the team’s most reliable players on either side of the ball.
As it turns out, a lot of teams could’ve used a dynamic threat like Andrews in their offense. Not only did he turn out to be one of the most valuable selections in that draft class, he turned into one of the most dynamic offensive threats selected in any round that year.
As it stands now, Andrews was the last position player drafted in 2018 that has made a Pro Bowl in his NFL career.
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