For the first time since 2016, the NY Giants made the playoffs and fans were thrilled with how things went throughout the campaign. It finally seems like the franchise is heading in the right direction and that is in most part due to the stars of the team stepping up in a big way.
A lot of love is going to Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen, and rightfully so. However, we can’t forget about the guys donning jerseys who recorded some head-turning performances throughout the year. With this in mind, we felt like it was the right time to hand out some end-of-the season honors, with six guys on our list being more than deserving of these honors:
Offensive Rookie of the Year: TE Daniel Bellinger
What a ride it has been for Daniel Bellinger this season, who went from a fourth-round pick that could potentially be playing behind Ricky Seals-Jones, to the undoubted TE1 of the Giants who just wrapped up a very solid rookie season.
Through 12 games, Bellinger racked up 30 catches on 33 targets for 269 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to this, Bellinger also had a tremendous season as a blocker, which is what the Giants drafted him to be.
According to PFF, Bellinger had a run blocking grade of 61.5, which ranks 20th among all tight ends in the entire league. Not bad considering where he was selected in the draft. Bellinger’s stats would be even better if he wasn’t forced to miss four consecutive games due to an eye injury he sustained against the Jaguars in Week 7.
Year 2 should be something special for Bellinger, who will not only be utilized more as a receiver, but he will only get better as a blocker. Schoen could not have done better with his selection of Bellinger. Not only did he exceed expectations as a pass catcher, but his blocking was key. Hats off to Bellinger. It’s not very often you see a fourth-round pick be a big-time impact player in their rookie season, but the future is very bright for the 22 year old.