Heading into the 2024 season, the Giants are coming off a disappointing 6-11 season, trying to bounce back on the team that won a playoff game in Minnesota two years ago.
In this series, we will break down the depth chart for each position group. This time, we’ll delve deeper into the tight end position…
Projected Depth Chart
Titles: Daniel Bellinger, Jack Stoll
Backups: Theo Johnson, Lawrence Cager, Chris Manhertz, Tyree Jackson
Main additions/losses: Darren Waller expected to retire
Best performance in 2023: Waller, who had 52 receptions for 552 yards and a touchdown
What the Giants’ tight ends have going for them
For almost the entire offseason, the Giants played the waiting game with Waller. After trading a third-round pick for the veteran last offseason, Waller is undecided about his playing future this offseason, but it appears the saga is finally coming to an end. With Waller expected to announce his retirement at the start of next week’s minicamp, the Giants now finally have some clarity. Is it the decision they wanted? Certainly not, considering Waller was acquired to be a key piece of the offseason. But at least now the team can map out what they want to do in the difficult situation.
What the Giants tight ends have going for them is that the current roster has a lot of high-level players. Bellinger was drafted in the fourth round two years ago and has been a decent No. 2 pick the past few seasons, but he definitely still has more to offer. The Giants drafted another tight end, Johnson, in the fourth round this year out of Penn State, and at 6-foot-2 and 259 pounds, he could be a threat in the red zone. Stoll was used more as a blocking tight end than anything else by the Eagles, but he is only 26 years old and could play a larger role as a receiver. Jackson is also a fun name to watch, although the former college quarterback has yet to become an NFL tight end.
Main concern for 2024: Who leads?
Right now, Bellinger is probably the Giants’ No. 1 tight end, and while he has shown flashes here and there, he is still an unproven entity. In two seasons, Bellinger has 55 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t bad given his limited playing time, but they’re also roughly equal to a full season of what Waller brought to the table last year.
Will Joe Schoen feel comfortable entering the season with a group of unproven tight ends or will he try to get creative and bring in a veteran to lead the group? Former Washington Commanders tight end Logan Thomas could be a name to watch, as he was released earlier this offseason despite putting up some strong numbers in DC. Jimmy Graham is also a free agent, but hasn’t been an impactful player in a few years.
Player who should rise in 2024: Bellinger
After scoring two touchdowns as a rookie, Bellinger had no touchdowns in his sophomore season. With Waller ahead of him on the depth chart, Bellinger’s role in the passing game was almost nonexistent, as he was only targeted just five times in his first six games. But when Waller was sidelined, Bellinger saw an increase in playing time, catching 11 passes on 12 targets for 138 yards in the five games Waller was not in the lineup.
Not much was expected of Bellinger last season, but if he starts the season as a starter, he will need to take a step forward.
The biggest camp battle: Stoll vs.
Stoll is a three-year veteran and has 50 games of NFL experience. But he was mainly used as an extra blocker by the Eagles, as he was behind Dallas Goedert on the depth chart. As a result, it’s difficult to know how much Stoll can contribute to the passing attack.
Johnson, on the other hand, tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns in his final season at Penn State. Johnson could be primed to one day be a starter for the Giants as he has all the physical traits, so it will be interesting to see if he gets opportunities to shine in the red zone right away as a rookie.
General outlook for 2024
As things currently stand, the Giants don’t have many excellent options at the tight end position. They have some interesting names on the depth chart, but unless an unproven name like Johnson or a veteran like Bellinger takes a big leap forward, Big Blue simply doesn’t have much firepower at tight end.
If and when Waller announces his retirement next week, as is widely expected, it is likely that Schoen will try to bring in a more proven entity to give Daniel Jones yet another receiving option to pair with their group of talented receivers.
