It had been speculated throughout the NFL offseason, but New York Giants tight end Darren Waller officially made a decision regarding his playing future. He announced on June 9 that he is retiring from the NFL, primarily due to a health scare and not feeling that he can give his all to the sport any longer. With that saga finally ending, the Giants can fully work towards replacing his role.
They have a few potential candidates to be the primary starter, but it’s likely a two-horse race between third-year player Daniel Bellinger and rookie [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] from Penn State. Bellinger has the advantage in terms of NFL experience, but he has not produced so far when given opportunities. He has played in 29 games with 24 starts and only racked up 523 yards and two touchdowns.
Bellinger was also just a fifth-round pick, so he isn’t going to get the benefit of the doubt from the coaching staff. Johnson meanwhile was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft. That decision may have been more about the uncertainty with Waller than any lack of faith in Bellinger, but the Giants front office clearly felt they needed more talent at the position.
Aside from the difference in draft capital, Johnson is also a very different player than Bellinger. Bellinger is more of a fluid, receiving tight end that isn’t going to give you much as a blocker or vertical threat. Johnson meanwhile is less fluid but can use his size well as a blocker, can climb the ladder for jump balls, and can run away from defenders up the seam.
Neither are perfect players, and their contrasting skill sets may actually allow them to co-exist well in the Giants offense. Teams are slowly trying to reverse course on the wide-open, spread-out offenses now that defenses have become faster and lighter in response. Two tight end sets give offenses a huge advantage in the run game, but they also provide mismatches for the passing game.
Even if Theo Johnson isn’t the “starting” tight end, he could still be in for a big workload as a rookie. Only time will tell how well he handles it, but he has the talent to make it work.