Rookie Charlie Kolar Expected to Make Impact for Ravens In Coming Weeks

Ravens rookie tight end added to roster last week.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens rookie tight end Charlie Kolar had to wait almost three months to make his NFL debut. 

Kolar had off-season hernia surgery and was finally cleared to rejoin the team last week. 

He will provide another sure-handed player for quarterback Lamar Jackson. 

Coach John Harbaugh expects Kolar to be an impact player this season.

“He’s looked really good. He’s a young player, and he missed a lot of time during training camp, so he’s still developing, but he’s out there [and] he looks good," Harbaugh said. "He’s so talented, he’s so big, he has great hands. He wants to do well; he’s very conscientious. He had three good weeks of practice, so I anticipate him being brought up this week; I can’t speak for [executive vice president and general manager] Eric [DeCosta] on that, but that’s how we’re talking right now. 

"Now, we have to find a way to do it, which is a challenge, but I expect Charlie to contribute this year.”

Marcus Williams made an immediate impact for the @Ravens before being sidelined in Week 5 with a dislocated wrist.
However, John Harbaugh expects Williams to be back on the field next month.#RavensFlockhttps://t.co/hTYOHSvDJY via @toddkarpovich

— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) November 12, 2022

The Ravens see a lot of similarities between Kolar and Mark Andrews.

Kolar is a big target at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and has solid hands just like Andrews. Both players are also solid route runners and find ways to get open in the middle of the field.

"Kolar and Mark [Andrews] – so you see a lot of similarities," Ravens director of player personnel Joe Hortiz said. "The spatial feel that Mark had … Now, Mark, again, we’re talking about a first-team All-Pro, exceptional player. Mark, his spatial awareness was legit, coming out. That’s the one thing you can hang your hat on, because really, you didn’t know how fast he was. He ran a little bit faster, and Charlie kind of did the same thing. He ran a little faster than you thought he’d run, and it’s just a big man who’s athletic. 

Baltimore selected Kolar with its third fourth-round pick from Iowa State. Kolar led all Big 12 tight ends in receptions (62), receiving yards (756), and touchdown receptions (6), breaking his own season school records by tight ends in catches and receiving yards. His 62 receptions are the 10th‐best season total overall in school history.

“With Charlie, he’s just getting back," Ravens tight end coach George Godsey said. "Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have a training camp. So, we’ve had two days in pads with him here practicing. So, for him, it’s almost like try to get as many reps as possible. We’re dealing with getting out of there from the injury, and it’s getting into football shape, and then get out there and blocking. 

"He missed all those individual sessions that we had with pads during training camp. For him, it’s each day. We’re trying to take another step. We’ll see where that is as the year goes on.”