Day 1 of NY Giants training camp is in the books. The excitement was in the air, with hundreds of fans on hand at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Wednesday to see guys ball out. Several players stood out during the team's practices and drills; however, one player could not be stopped.
Darren Waller put on a clinic with his speed, making it difficult for his teammates to cover him during practice. The 6-6 tight end was all over the field and didn't waste much time in showcasing his potential to fans. Hey, this is going to be a lot of fun watching him:
Darren Waller is going to cause issues this year.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) July 26, 2023
Not for the #Giants, but every defense they face.
Plus some on Daniel Jones (he looked good) and Parris Campbell (he looked good) pic.twitter.com/7h7DBaM1sI
NY Giants TE Darren Waller is already putting on a show at camp
As the day went on, nobody seemed to have an answer for the tight end, as he continued to make show-stopping plays, especially in the red zone. Waller was in sync with quarterback Daniel Jones making difficult plays look easy. He made several highlight plays, but turned many heads on a circus catch from Jones for a touchdown:
Babe look Darren Waller circus catch pic.twitter.com/LgnxdtEFVq
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) July 26, 2023
Waller's teammates expressed their thoughts on the tight end after practice. Left tackle Andrew Thomas told SNY reporter Connor Hughes that Waller is "going to be a problem" for defenses next season. Safety Xavier McKinney also spoke to the media and had many encouraging words for his new teammate.
"He pretty much can do everything. I love having him on this team because I know how he's going to help me improve as a player."
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) July 26, 2023
Xavier McKinney on Darren Waller: pic.twitter.com/lVk9Fu4OKz
Waller enters his first season with the Giants after spending the previous five seasons with the Raiders. He posted 1,000 yards in back-to-back campaigns (2019 and 2020) and caught a career-high nine touchdowns in 2020. We'll see if he can join Mark Bavaro as the second tight end in Giants franchise history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
We can expect the tight end to be this offense's go-to weapon if he can stay healthy. He displays excellent speed and athleticism for his size. Waller will be a force to be reckoned with, and Giants fans should be excited for what's to come from him this season.
READ MORE: 2 teams tried trading for NY Giants star Saquon Barkley