Bellinger caught one of two targets for seven yards in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions. Bellinger wasn't heavily involved but neither was rookie fourth-round pick Theo Johnson, who wasn't targeted Thursday. Tyree Jackson was the Giants' most productive tight end Thursday with two catches for 34 yards, but Bellinger and Johnson have been splitting first-team reps in practice and remain on track to lead the position come the regular season. New York's next preseason game will be in Houston next Saturday.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Daniel Bellinger news
Team
New York Giants
Birthdate
9/22/2000 (23)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'6", 255 lbs
Draft Info
2022: Rd 4; Pk (NYG)
Birthplace
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Position
TE
College
San Diego State
Experience
3 seasons
Career History
New York Giants
2022-Present
(3 seasons)
Bellinger caught one of two targets for seven yards in Thursday's 14-3 preseason win over the Lions. Bellinger wasn't heavily involved but neither was rookie fourth-round pick Theo Johnson, who wasn't targeted Thursday. Tyree Jackson was the Giants' most productive tight end Thursday with two catches for 34 yards, but Bellinger and Johnson have been splitting first-team reps in practice and remain on track to lead the position come the regular season. New York's next preseason game will be in Houston next Saturday.
Bellinger is listed as the No. 1 tight end on the Giants' first unofficial depth chart, Dan Salomone of the team's official site reports. With Darren Waller deciding to retire in the offseason, New York's starting tight-end role is up for grabs. It makes sense for Bellinger to work in that capacity given that he was the starter during his rookie campaign before Waller was brought into the fold, but -- despite drawing positive reviews from the team's coaching staff -- he was only modestly productive with 30 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns over 12 regular-season games. The Giants drafted Theo Johnson in the fourth round of Aprils' NFL Draft with Waller's then-potential retirement in mind, and he's worked with the first-team offense at times during training camp, so he appears to be the biggest threat to Bellinger attaining the starting role. However, on the the team's initial depth chart, Johnson is listed as fourth at tight end behind Bellinger, Lawrence Cager and Chris Manhertz.
Bellinger (undisclosed) has been cleared to practice at the start of Giants training camp this week, Dan Salomone of the team's official website reports. Bellinger missed some work during the spring with an undisclosed injury, but he's ready to roll for the start of training camp. Following the retirement of Darren Waller earlier this summer, Bellinger is penciled in atop the depth chart at tight end for the G-Men. Bellinger has 55 catches for 523 yards and two touchdowns through two NFL seasons and is unlikely to factor into the TE1 fantasy discussion after going scoreless on 25 grabs last year. Rookie Theo Johnson (hip, PUP) will also be in the mix at the position for New York.
Bellinger has been limited during spring practices due to an undisclosed injury, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports. It's the second time the tight end has been in the news this week after Darren Waller's retirement put Bellinger in good position for a starting job. The Giants also have rookie fourth-round pick Theo Johnson as a potential receiving threat at the position, but Bellinger figures to handle most of the first-team reps at the start of training camp. Coach Brian Daboll downplayed the injury Wednesday, so he seemingly expects Bellinger to be ready for camp.
Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson will compete to be the Giants' top tight end after Darren Waller decided to retire, NJ.com's Darryl Slater reports. Bellinger and Johnson both are fourth-round picks with impressive physical specs and less impressive college production. Bellinger has a huge advantage in terms of NFL experience, having played 1,262 snaps on offense through two seasons, including 12 instances taking more than 80 percent of snaps in a game (mostly games that Waller missed). The problem is that Bellinger hasn't been much of a receiving threat even with 4.63 speed, catching 55 passes for 523 yards and two touchdowns while drawing just 63 targets on 512 routes (12.3 percent target rate). The sky-high catch rate (55 of 63, 87.3 percent) shows that Bellinger has held his own as a dump-off target, but he hasn't done much else, with 43 being his single-game high for yardage and just 36.4 percent of his career receptions going for first downs. Both Bellinger and Johnson are taller, heavier and faster than the average NFL tight end, but it isn't clear either has the pass-catching skill to make a dent in fantasy.