4 significant questions for the NY Giants tight ends this season

When Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll started to construct the NY Giants offense, they had a vision in mind that gives Daniel Jones a lot of dynamic options with the chance to create possible mismatches.

The tight end position has been something the Giants are still figuring out, especially after the departure of Evan Engram before the 2022 season. The Giants may have made one of the more underrated moves of the offseason when they made the deal with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire Darren Waller.

Before Waller’s arrival, the tight end position wasn’t a spot that the Giants gave a lot of focus on in the offseason, as it was usually addressed with either draft picks or free agent signings that don’t seem to pan out; Kyle Rudolph was one of those after a stellar career with the Minnesota Vikings.

The addition of Waller gives the tight end room and depth chart an entire new look heading into the 2023 season. With that said, let’s take a look at four questions surrounding the tight end spot heading into Week 1:

4. How many tight ends do the Giants carry in 2023?

With Waller now being on the team, the position gets deeper with the talent already there. It also could mean that some players who were on the team in 2021 and 2022 could find themselves not on the roster moving forward.

Waller is a lock, as is Daniel Bellinger, who was the starting tight end during his rookie season a year ago. After that, it becomes a question mark. Lawrence Cager was here a year ago and was the backup behind Bellinger, so he already has a leg up on knowing the playbook and the offense.

Also in the mix is veteran Tommy Sweeney, whom Daboll and Schoen know from their Buffalo Bills days when he was with them. Then there’s veteran Chris Myarick, who has been a member of the Giants for the last two years as both a tight end and fullback and has been a red zone option for Jones in the past.

Could the Giants carry four tight ends? Aside from Waller and Bellinger, the third tight end spot is a bit of a toss up and could be a spot that gets determined during the final weeks of training camp.

3. Does Daniel Bellinger take the next step in his second season?

One year ago, the Giants asked Bellinger to step into the starting role as a rookie tight end with no expectations of how he would perform after a long stretch with Engram at the spot.

Bellinger had a lot of flashes of being a solid player and even with the addition of Waller onto the team, Bellinger will likely still see plenty of action at tight end, especially since Waller has the ability to not just line up as a tight end, but to line up at wideout and create massive mismatches for opponents.

Bellinger was already considered a tremendous blocker and he added some serious bulk to his already massive frame in the offseason, which should only help him to stick in the offense for blocking assignments as well as possible short-yardage situations.

In 12 games during the 2022 season, Bellinger had 30 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns. His numbers could have been higher if not for an eye injury that sidelined him for several weeks. With the amount of attention Waller will likely attract on the field, Bellinger could see a lot of opportunities to get the ball.

2. Can Darren Waller be as good as advertised?

Heading into the offseason, one of the question marks surrounding the Giants was a lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver. Jalin Hyatt has the potential to be that guy after he was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

That was until the Giants acquired Darren Waller, who might be listed as a tight end, but he has the look of a wide receiver who can dominate. In training camp, Waller hasn’t just been the typical tight end who might get an occasional look. Waller has been nearly unstoppable and impossible to cover.

If the Giants can get the 2019-2020 type production out of Waller, then the Giants really did find that top receiver option that every Giants fan was hoping for.

The 2020 season numbers - when Waller had 107 catches for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns - could be a possibility given how Jones has targeted Waller frequently during the summer. If that’s the case, thank you Kadarius Toney for helping the Giants to make that deal possible.

1. Can Darren Waller stay healthy?

While the addition of Waller is one for any Giants fan to get excited over, he does come with some hesitation given the last two seasons with the Raiders.

Waller missed six games in the 2021 season with an ankle and knee injury. Even with the injuries, Walker still produced, as he had 55 catches for 665 yards and two touchdowns. While it’s not a terrible season, it wasn’t the kind of production everyone came to know from Waller.

In 2022, Waller was active for just nine games for Las Vegas, as he was on Injured Reserve midseason with a hamstring injury. In the nine games he was active for the Raiders, Waller had just 28 catches for 388 yards and three touchdowns.

While the injuries are part of the game, the Giants invested a lot in Waller, especially his contract, as the Giants have Waller signed for the next four seasons, although they could release him after the 2023 campaign if Waller can’t stay healthy or doesn’t work out. Waller is also turning 31 once the 2023 season begins, so the Giants will have to hope he can stay healthy and hope the injuries he encountered with the Raiders are far behind him.

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