March 14, 2023 will prove to be a glorius day in New York Giants history. On that day, the G-Men acquired Darren Waller in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick. This really came from out of nowhere. It feels like one of the most underrated blockbuster moves of the offseason.
We must talk more about how tremendous Waller is. The veteran is undoubtedly a top five tight end in the NFL, and by the end of the 2023 season, we could be saying he is the second best, only trailing Travis Kelce. Waller will completely change the dynamic of New York’s offense. Here are three reasons the Darren Waller trade will prove to be gold for the squad:
3. Darren Waller will take Danny Dimes to another level
Daniel Jones had an excellent 2022 season. Jones posted the sixth-best QBR, was a top-10 quarterback, and won a playoff game. Waller can elevate his game even higher. Through his four seasons as Giants quarterback, Jones’ primary tight end posted 467 yards, 654 yards, 408 yards, and 268 yards, respectively.
Evan Engram, the primary tight end for Jones' first three seasons in the NFL, never caught more than three touchdowns in a year from the Giants QB. Jones threw for just 3,205 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2022. Waller will alone help Jones' passing yards and passing touchdowns shoot up exponentially in 2023.
In 2019, Waller had 1,145 yards and three touchdowns on 90 receptions. In 2020, Waller had 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns on 107 receptions. Only one New York Giants tight end has amassed 1,000 yards in a single season (Mark Bavaro had exactly 1,000 in 1986). In 2021, Waller played in just 11 games and had 665 yards, which still would have been the best production Jones received from a tight end in his career.
Also in 2021, PFF gave Waller a 74.2 pass-blocking grade, which is very good. If the Giants want to use Waller as a decoy on certain plays, he can serve as a de facto sixth offensive lineman and give Jones more time to work in the pocket.
Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka are two of the greatest offensive minds in football. Those two will scheme up creative ways to feed Waller the ball. Remember, Kafka was a longtime member of the Cheifs offensive coaching staff that turned Kelce into arguably the best tight end in NFL history.
2. Waller takes a ton of pressure off the Giants wide receivers
Waller is 6-6 and weighs 255 pounds, but runs a 4.46 40-yard dash. He is an athletic freak and a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. That is going to take so much pressure off the Giants wide receivers.
As currently constructed, the Giants have a solid lineup at wide receiver that features Isaiah Hodgins, Parris Campbell Jr., Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Sterling Shepard. None of those guys are WR1s, but the Giants now have a number-one pass catcher. He just happens to play tight end.
Opposing teams will gameplan to take away Waller, which will enable all five of those wideouts to have favorable matchups. Slayton, Robinson, and Campbell Jr. all have a ton of speed, making it hard for defensive backs to cover them one on one.
All five of the featured Giants receivers' profile as WR2 or WR3. The Giants haven’t had a WR1 since Odell Beckham Jr. was traded - Slayton and Shepard have had to fill that role. Now that the Giants have Waller, all five wideouts can go back to filling the roles their skillsets are made for. That will make the Giants offense very potent.
1. There’s no risk for the G-Men
The most important factor regarding the Waller blockbuster: there is no risk for the Giants. Big Blue traded pick No. 100 in this month's NFL Draft for a star tight end. Joe Schoen acquired that selection and a sixth-round pick from the Kansas City Chiefs at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for embattled wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Essentially Schoen traded Toney for Waller and a sixth-rounder. That is insanely savvy. It's understandable to be worried about Waller's health since he has battled injuries in almost every year of his career. If Waller stunningly doesn’t work out in New York because of injury problems, it’s not like the Giants gave up much for him.
Waller is under contract for four more seasons. After this season, there is no guaranteed money left on his contract. The Giants can painlessly cut him at any time. Waller will make around $12 million per season, which is not a lot of money for a big-time weapon and certainly will not hinder the Giants from making big moves in the future.
There is nothing not to like about the Waller trade. He was the best pass-catcher available on the open market this spring. Schoen went out and got him, finally giving Danny Dimes an elite pass-catching weapon to work with.
READ MORE: Day 2 linebackers the NY Giants can target in the NFL Draft