Any and all recent discussions about the New York Giants’ tight end room have started with Isaiah Likely.
John Harbaugh loves Likely from their days together in Baltimore, and the fifth-year tight end has frequently been mentioned as a breakout candidate. Theo Johnson is also around and poised to remain one of Jaxson Dart’s safety blankets.
As for the third tight end, it won’t be Daniel Bellinger. He left to reunite with Matt Nagy on the Titans following a $14 million guarantee. That leaves the veteran Chris Manhertz, and you should still plan on seeing him hit the field come Week 1.
How the Giants will use veteran tight end Chris Manhertz
Manhertz fills the blocking tight end role, and he does so incredibly well.
Pro Football Focus graded Manhertz as the Giants’ third-best run blocker behind only left tackle Andrew Thomas and running back Cam Skattebo.
Although PFF grades are notoriously divisive, Manhertz is pivotal to the Giants’ running success, as we saw last year — at least, when Skattebo, Dart, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. were all healthy.
Manhertz has never been much of a receiver, catching only 30 passes over 154 games. He’s averaged 3.2 catches and 33 yards per season since becoming a full-time player in 2017, catching only three touchdowns in that span. The 34-year-old is almost exclusively used in sets with multiple tight ends, operating as an extra blocker.
Yet, he’s been an offensive and special teams mainstay wherever he’s been, whether it was blocking for Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey on the Panthers or providing gaps for the Giants’ three-headed rushing attack.
The Giants re-signed Manhertz to a one-year, $1.5 million contract earlier this offseason. Cutting the 34-year-old tight end wouldn’t significantly hurt their cap, though there is no reason to believe that Manhertz is on the roster bubble.
John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy both love using multiple tight ends (Nagy's Chiefs ran 13 personnel at a top-ten rate last year), and Manhertz and fullback Patrick Ricard are expected to factor into the Giants’ offense. All signs point to Manhertz surviving final cuts, with Ricard — a six-time Pro Bowler for Harbaugh in Baltimore — splitting time between fullback and tight end.
Skattebo has made it clear he has high expectations for himself, even speaking a 2,000-yard season into existence.
Having Manhertz paving the way would certainly help Skattebo make Giants history.
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