Getty The Giants are a natural fit for a Pro Bowler who could be on the trading block.
Tight end is one of the positions where the New York Giants lack a marquee playmaker. It’s arguably as important as finding some bluechip talent at wide receiver.
The Giants have a proud history of deploying standout tight ends, including Mark Bavaro and Jeremy Shockey. Big Blue can continue the tradition by trading for Las Vegas Raiders’ star Darren Waller.
A Pro Bowler in 2020, Waller is one of the highest-paid players at his position in the NFL, but there’s a chance head coach Josh McDaniels could move the $51 million player this offseason. If so, Justin Melo of The Draft Network believes the Giants are one of three teams who should look to strike a deal.
3 Teams Named Fits for Pro Bowler
The Raiders and Los Angeles Rams are expected to trade at least one big name during the next few months, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. He outlined why Waller might be one of those names: “McDaniels is big on ‘culture fits’ and will want his own guys. Teams will be keeping an eye on tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow in that process.”
Fowler’s report prompted Melo to name the Giants alongside the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars as trade fits. The case for the Giants hinges on adding more dynamic athletes around quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
Both are free agents, but Melo expects general manager Joe Schoen to retain the duo before filling an obvious void in the starting lineup: “Signing Jones and Barkley to multi-year deals would allow the Giants to minimize their cap hits in 2023, leaving Schoen some operating room to add additional contributors. The Giants lack a true starting tight end. Acquiring Darren Waller would help the Giants continue investing in Jones’ development.”
Waller fits the bill as a dynamic athlete who would expand the Giants’ offense, particularly through the air. The 30-year-old topped 1100 yards receiving in 2019 and ’20, but injuries have limited him since.
No. 83 played in only nine games this season due to a hamstring problem that eventually landed him on injured reserve. Either side of the injury, Waller made 28 catches, averaging an impressive 13.9 yards per grab, and found the end zone three times, including against the New England Patriots in Week 15:
Welcome back Darren Waller! #RaiderNation
📺: #NEvsLV on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/SuNPv0yZ94
The play showcased what Waller does best. Namely, stretch the field between the numbers and find the soft spots in coverage.
Waller is a size and speed mismatch against most defenders, assets that add flexibility to any passing game. The Raiders have had success splitting Waller out wide, flexing him into the slot and even out of the backfield.
There isn’t a tight end on the Giants’ roster who can gash defenses in this many ways. That’s why there’s a growing clamor for Schoen to address the position, either via the veteran market or the 2023 NFL draft.
Buzz Building for Giants to Add Tight End
The Giants’ need for a star at tight end is obvious after players at the position combined for just 57 catches in 2022, per Pro Football Reference. Daniel Bellinger led the way with 30 grabs and a mere two touchdowns, but the player Schoen drafted in the fourth round a year ago is more of a blocker than a credible receiving threat.
Bellinger can be an asset in the running game, but Lawrence Cager, Tanner Hudson and Nick Vannett don’t scare anybody as pass-catchers. What the Giants need is a tight end adept at dominating in both phases of the game.
Michael Mayer ticks both boxes, and the Notre Dame ace is a possible first-round pick for the Giants. That’s how Pro Football Focus’ Marcus Mosher sees things.
Mosher sends Mayer to the Giants 26th overall, noting how he owns “a massive catch radius and the athleticism to be a weapon down the seams. Mayer would be an excellent value pick for the Giants late in Round 1.”
Mayer is indeed a gifted receiver, but the 6’4″, 249-pounder is also a tough and willing blocker, evidenced by this play highlighted by Blue Chip Scouting’s Tyler Browning:
Michael Mayer seal block
Mayer’s a good fit, but Schoen may be more inclined to use his premium pick to select a go-to wide receiver. Then the Giants would be free to acquire a proven commodity like Waller, who doesn’t stay in to block that often, but at 6’6″ and 255 pounds, he’s a size upgrade on Bellinger.
The Giants own nine draft picks, including two in the third and seventh rounds. Packaging a pair of those picks ought to give them a fighting chance to land a seven-year pro carrying a cap hit worth $12.04 million, per Spotrac.com.