The Darren Waller experiment is officially over. Waller announced his retirement from the NFL ending his short and disappointing tenure with the New York Giants. Waller’s retirement opens the door for two promising tight ends that need to step up this season. The acquisition of Waller during the 2023 NFL Free Agency period was an aggressive move by General Manager Joe Schoen, to give his Quarterback a legitimate target. Their chemistry seemed on point during training camp and the preseason. Unfortunately, injuries along the offensive line, and poor play across the board offensively, capped their potential together.
Even with sporadic play, Waller at one point was leading all tight ends in total receiving yards before an injury began to derail his season. He missed a good chunk of the season before returning and playing the final four games. The attention quickly turns to the Giants depth chart at tight end which features young, but unproven players. Could one of them break out? Or will the Giants have to continue searching for that impact tight end?
Daniel Bellinger vs Theo Johnson At Tight End
Third-year tight end, Daniel Bellinger is positioned to win the TE1 battle in camp. This is his third year in the system, which is a leg up on the rest of the players behind him. While Bellinger brings added value as a run blocker, his passing game abilities continue to be a work in progress. This is an important season for Bellinger to prove himself as a worthy pass-catching option. A player like him is valuable in short-yardage situations to move the chains and score in the end zone. Bellinger, unfortunately, is dealing with an undisclosed issue and was not able to participate in this past week’s minicamp. This is certainly a situation worth monitoring as training camp approaches in July.
The Giants used a fourth-round pick in this year’s draft to grab Penn State Tight End, Theo Johnson. Johnson, listed at 6’6 260 lbs, brings 4.58 speed to the field. His tape shows flashes of quality receiving ability that Bellinger does not possess. Theo Johnson has a rare opportunity to immediately contribute as a productive option for Daniel Jones. There is a big learning curve for rookie tight ends when they first enter the NFL, but production is expected. The Giants have an alpha at wide receiver in Malik Nabers, but having a productive tight end will help any offense. Theo is a capable blocker in line and pass protection, but he will earn his stripes receiving the football.
Maybe one is even worth a swing in fantasy football.
Giant Potential
Johnson won’t be pushed by the players behind him in the depth chart, they will battle for third-team tight end. Both players are 23 years old and have a great opportunity to show the Giants brass that they deserve first-team reps. Perhaps the retirement of Darren Waller is a blessing in disguise, allowing unproven players to showcase their abilities. The Giants took a swing but missed with Waller. Fortunately, they were prepared to make necessary additions via the draft to ensure stability and production.
Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
