NFL Draft Profile: Isaiah Likely, Tight End, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

NFL draft profile scouting report for Coastal Carolina tight end, Isaiah Likely

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#4
Pos: TE
Ht: 6044
Wt: 245
Hand: 1000
Arm: 3178
Wing: 7818
Shuttle: 4.57
Vertical: 36
DOB: 4/18/_
Eligible: 2022
Cambridge, MA
Everett High School

Isaiah Likely
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

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One-Liners

Fast F tight end who competes as a blocker and has a small catch radius. 

Pros:

Displaying his versatility in the Chanticleers offense, Likely lines up out wide, in-line and at H-back. He possesses good speed, allowing him to win vertically and create chunk plays thanks to his ball tracking. Smooth footwork and ankle flexion lets him adjust angles at high speeds and perform speed cuts at the deep and intermediate level of the field. Likely keeps his head straight before snapping off his routes to test the eye discipline of opponents. After the catch, he is shifty, making poor tacklers miss. He navigates the sideline and manages to stay in bounds. A high effort blocker, Likely competes in that phase of the game as he drives smaller defenders. Maintaining a wide base and active feet means he can pin ends occasionally. At the second level, his locating skills are above average. 

Cons:

Despite his speed, Likely is often unable to threaten off coverage defenders vertically, letting them squat on his routes. He struggles to take turns as he has to decelerate and is slow into his breaks. A small catch radius prevents him from adjusting to off target passes and means he is poor at the catch point, as he will not attack the football in the air. Very early hands allow defenders to adjust and make a play. Likely frequently whiffs at the point of attack and is unable to latch and sustain blocks against bigger defenders. 

Summary:

Fast tight end who is versatile and can separate on the deep and intermediate level. Likely is a competitive blocker, driving smaller defenders and maintaining a wide base with active feet. He is poor in contested catch situations and has a small catch radius. Likely projects as an F tight end who can also line up at H-Back. His athleticism will create mismatches between the 20’s as his limited catching could see him taken off the field in condensed spaces. 

Background:

Born April 18th in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Isaiah Likely was a standout wide receiver at Everett High School. The talented pass-catcher caught 59 passes for 917 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior. A testament to his on-field impact, the school won 19 consecutive games including back-to-back championships during his tenure. In Likely’s senior year, Everett was the top-ranked team in Massachusetts and had the state’s best offense. The team won the Division 1 Super Bowl Championship. In recognition of his stellar career, Likely was named to the Massachusetts Prep Stars. Moreover, he was made a First String Performance All-State Gridiron Super Team third-teamer. A widely unknown recruit, Likely was not listed by 247Sports Composite Rankings. 247Sports Rankings, though, gave him a two-star rating. The same service ranked him the 172nd-best athlete in his class and the 11th-overall recruit from Massachusetts that year. Despite his low profile as a high schooler, Likely was an instant impact player for the Chanticleers. He played in all 12 games, now at tight end, and even tied for the team lead with five touchdown receptions. He also recorded 12 catches for 106 yards. The former wide receiver was named to the 2018-2019 Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll. What’s more, he was a member of the Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt All-Conference Fourth Team for his sophomore season. Likely broke out in 2019. He played in all twelve games and started six (all at tight end). On the year, he ranked among the top Sun Belt tight ends with 32 receptions, 431 receiving yards and his team-leading five touchdowns. After the season, the Massachusetts native was placed on the Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference Second Team, the All-Sun Belt Third Team and the John Mackey Award Watch List. Further, he earned a spot on the President’s List in the 2020 spring semester, an honor given to students with 4.0 GPAs. Before his junior season, the athletic tight end was named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team, the Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference Third Team and the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team. Likely continued his strong career at Coastal Carolina in 2020, appearing in 11 of 12 games despite sustaining an undisclosed foot injury (that would eventually require surgery) early in the year. His 601 receiving yards were eighth in the Sun Belt and first among Sun Belt tight ends. He also recorded 30 receptions and five receiving touchdowns. After the season, Likely was selected to the All-Sun Belt First Team, Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference First Team and Pro Football Focus Focus All-America Second Team. The academic standout made Dean’s List, reserved for students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, in the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021. One of the nation’s top tight ends, the Everett product received several honors before his senior year. Likely was named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, the Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference First Team, the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team, the College Football America Yearbook’s Preseason Group of 5 Starting Lineup, the College Football America Yearbook’s Preseason Dream Team Starting Lineup, the Pro Football Focus College Football Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team and the Pro Football Focus College Football Preseason All-American Third Team. Additionally, he was placed on the 2021 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List (awarded to the nation’s top receiver) and the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List (awarded to the nation’s top tight end). 

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Grades

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

5th Round