Top 100 NFL players entering the 2020 season: Nos. 90-81
By Samuel Teets
86. Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
In 2018, the Ravens drafted South Carolina’s Hayden Hurst with the 25th overall pick. Two years later, Baltimore shipped Hurst to Atlanta because the team wholeheartedly believes in Andrews as its star pass-catcher. This past season, the 2018 third-round pick made 64 receptions for 852 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Andrews is an integral part of Baltimore’s offense. The team lacks a standout wide receiver, so Andrews became Lamar Jackson’s favorite target this past season. Without the Oklahoma product, Jackson would’ve had a much harder time getting Baltimore’s passing game off the ground.
Andrews led the Ravens in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Rookie receiver Marquise Brown finished second in all four categories, but it wasn’t even close. Mark Ingram and Jackson were the only Ravens who produced more yards from scrimmage than Andrews this past season.
While Andrews led all tight ends in touchdowns in 2019, he finished fifth in yards. Interestingly, the 23-year-old only played 41 percent of Baltimore’s offensive snaps, making placing him among the league’s top tight ends difficult.
85. David DeCastro, RG, Pittsburgh Steelers
A few years ago, Pittsburgh fans believed they were watching the next Hall of Fame Steelers offensive lineman when DeCastro earned his second First-Team All-Pro selection in three years. Despite making the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons, DeCastro hasn’t earned another All-Pro nomination.
In the rankings for Nos. 100-91, I mentioned that Pittsburgh’s offensive line performed admirably against pass rushers this past season. If the line accepts praise for its role in the passing game, it also deserves blame for Pittsburgh’s atrocious rushing attack. The Steelers finished among the bottom five teams for rushing yards in 2018 and 2019.
At 30 years old, DeCastro is still a critical piece of Pittsburgh’s offensive line. However, it’s worth wondering whether we’ve already seen the Stanford product’s best days.