Nick Boyle

Boyle is a key cog in the Ravens offense, but he's not featured in the passing game. He ranked 10th in the league in snaps among tight ends with 783, yet his target count was just 53. His blocking percentage (passing plays where he stayed in to block) was 22.4 percent, which ranked sixth among tight ends with at least 600 snaps played. Compare that to teammate Mark Andrews, who ran routes on 97.6 percent of his passing play snaps. Hayden Hurst's departure may open up some more targets for Boyle, but it's also possible that Andrews' snap count balloons from his 467 in 2019. Boyle has reliable hands (72.1 percent catch rate) but he has a shallow depth of target (6.0) and his best skill is his blocking. He also plays alongside one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the league. He's only on the fantasy radar in leagues that start two tight ends.

The Ravens selection of two tight ends in the 2018 draft seemed to signal that Boyle's time with the team was nearing an end. That ended up being far from the case as Baltimore brought him back on a three-year, $18 million deal this offseason that features $10 million guaranteed. But it's important to note that while Boyle is clearly an important asset to the Ravens, his impact is mostly felt as a blocker. He only ran routes on 63 percent of the pass plays for which he was on the field in 2018. Of tight ends who played at least 400 snaps last year, only Darren Fells, Luke Stocker, and Tyler Higbee ran a lower percentage of routes per pass-play snap. Meanwhile, Mark Andrews was on the field for 228 less snaps than Boyle, but ran 115 more routes, and former first-rounder Hayden Hurst stands to get more involved in the passing game this season. Boyle will see the field plenty in 2019, but his role is not one that will pay fantasy dividends.

Of Boyle's 505 tight end snaps in 2017, he ran routes just 132 (26 percent) times. By comparison, Ben Watson had 428 snaps at tight end and ran routes 204 times (47 percent). Even with Watson gone now, it's clear how the Ravens view Boyle. He's great as a blocker and is reliable when thrown to (28 catches on 37 targets for 203 yards). Baltimore's decision to draft two pass-catching tight ends in the first three rounds shows that the team is more concerned with replacing Watson's receiving production than getting a blocking tight end. Rookies Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews will absorb Watson's role and targets while Boyle remains a fixture attached to the line as a blocker and occasional pass catcher.

It's almost by process of elimination at this point, but the fact remains that Boyle's value is on the upswing with all the attrition the Ravens have endured at the tight end. Dennis Pitta (hip) and Crockett Gillmore (knee) suffered season-ending injuries (Pitta has since been released) and the athletically gifted Darren Waller was served a year-long suspension. What does that leave? A 36-year-old Ben Watson coming off a torn Achilles, a underperforming Maxx Williams who is coming off major knee surgery, and camp body in Larry Donnell who was picked up off the scrap heap early in camp. Not that Boyle's background is without its own blemishes -- a 10-game suspension last season kept him largely in the doghouse even when eligible in 2016 -- but injuries haven't played a major role in his NFL career the way they have for some of Baltimore's other tight end targets. Boyle is often lauded for his tenacity at the point of attack, which should help him get on the field in run situations under new offensive assistant Greg Roman. Furthermore, even though it's a small sample, Boyle has shown reliable hands through his first two seasons, catching 24 of 29 targets for 197 yards. Boyle's path to being the No.2 tight end on the depth chart has opened up this offseason, making him a potential under-the-radar candidate to monitor early in the season on waiver wires.

Boyle, a fifth-round rookie, will likely open the season as Baltimore's No. 3 tight end, behind Crockett Gillmore and second-round rookie Maxx Williams. Boyle doesn't figure to have much impact as a receiver in the NFL.