Through over 100 years of existence, only five tight ends in New York Giants franchise history have earned Pro Bowl honors.
New head coach John Harbaugh sounds like he believes Isaiah Likely could be the sixth.
Speaking with reporters this week, Harbaugh didn’t hide his excitement about Likely joining the Giants’ offense. Likely, a 2022 fourth-round pick from Coastal Carolina, averaged 34 catches, 392 yards, and four touchdowns while playing for Harbaugh in Baltimore.
Now reunited with Harbaugh in New York, Likely is expected to be the Day 1 starter at tight end, a role he never had with the Ravens, given Mark Andrews’ presence.
“I’m certain he’s going to be able to put up the numbers, the stats,” Harbaugh said. “That wasn’t the thing in Baltimore because of the supporting cast.”
Isaiah Likely must emerge as Jaxson Dart’s safety blanket
The most successful quarterbacks, especially those in the 21st century, have almost always had a reliable tight end. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, respectively, had Rob Gronkowski and Dallas Clark. Patrick Mahomes turned Travis Kelce from a competent starting tight end to a future Hall of Famer. Andrews even recorded 1,361 yards as Lamar Jackson’s top target on the Ravens in 2021.
None of that is to say that Likely is guaranteed to suddenly become the next All-Pro tight end. However, him potentially breaking out and solidifying himself as a legitimate No. 1 tight end could go a long way in boosting Dart’s development, even more so after receiver Wan’Dale Robinson’s departure in free agency.
Likely, who turns 26 on April 18, still has age on his side. He frequently flashed when given a chance in Baltimore, though he fumbled twice last season. However, he only had one drop on 36 targets, and he deserves credit for lowering his drop total every year.
With respect to Evan Engram, the Giants haven’t had a gamechanging tight end since Jeremy Shockey. Engram was fine, but it wasn’t until he left for Jacksonville that we saw exactly why the Giants selected him in the 2017 draft’s first round.
Harbaugh and Joe Schoen already made it clear they believe in Likely, signing him to a three-year, $40 million contract this offseason. That’s a significant investment in a player who has never topped 500 receiving yards.
“I think Jaxson’s going to really like him running the routes and being in his line of vision,” Harbaugh said of Likely. “He’s got a big catch radius. He can he can make plays, after he makes the catch he can get up field.”
All of that is exactly what Giants fans should want to hear — or, rather, what they likely want to hear.