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According to reports, the New York Giants have added another tight end to the roster with a week left until the NFL draft. Jordan Akins, a former third-round pick of the Houston Texans has agreed to a one-year deal with the club, as reported by Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Akins, 29, spent four seasons in Houston, starting 23 games and recording 114 catches for 1,260 yards and three touchdowns. There is a clear connection between Akins and the Giants, as he played for the team’s current tight ends coach Andy Bischoff in Houston last season.
Akins was selected 98th overall in the 2018 draft after four college seasons with the University of Central Florida (UCF) Knights. In college, he recorded 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns, earning a First-Team All-AAC (American Athletic Conference) selection in 2017. In 2018 he was also selected to the AAC fifth anniversary team.
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The move provides the Giants with another experienced tight end, but perhaps not one to view as a starting candidate. After all, his 23 starts came in 58 games played, showing a lack of regular starting reps. The club is in a position of need at tight end following the departure of long-time starter Evan Engram, who spent the last five seasons as the clear top option at the position. Engram, who departed for Jacksonville, nabbed 16 touchdowns on 2,828 receiving yards during his tenure with Big Blue. Kaden Smith and Kyle Rudolph, the other notable tight ends on the roster last season, were released as well.
Assessing Giants’ Crop of Tight Ends
The addition of Akins brings the current number of tight ends on the team roster to five. He joins Ricky Seals-Jones, Rysen John, Chris Myarick, and Jake Hausmann on the roster. While John and Hausmann have never played in a regular-season game, Myarick started three games for the Giants last season, recording a touchdown against the rival Philadelphia Eagles. Still, he’s relatively inexperienced, leaving Akins and the recently-signed Seals-Jones as the two veterans of this tight ends crop.
While the two veterans seem to be in pole position for playing time next season, Seals-Jones would seem to be a step ahead. Of course, Akins’ connections with Bischoff will help him, but already entering his age-30 season, a huge step forward into TE1 territory is unlikely. This is also unlikely for Seals-Jones, but he’s been featured more and in less time. Drafted a year after Akins, he has 23 career starts to Akins’ 15, while boasting 10 career touchdowns to Akins’ three.
A Tight End in the Draft Still Likely
Even with the addition of this veteran tight end duo, the Giants still seem to be in a position to draft a starting-caliber tight end. The team has hosted four tight end prospects during the buildup to next week’s draft. The most notable among those is Virginia standout Jelani Woods, whose stock has risen considerably in the aftermath of his monster combine. According to reports, Woods has now met with 20 teams since the combine. The Giants seem to be a great match as they seek to fill the void of Engram’s departure, but competition will be stiff.
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