With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE
POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Tight Ends
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW: The Giants selected Theo Johnson in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He won the starting tight end job coming out of training camp and played in 12 games with 11 starts, receiving 84 percent of all offensive snaps in those games. However, Johnson suffered a Lisfranc foot injury at the end of November, underwent surgery, and missed the rest of the season on Injured Reserve. Johnson finished the year with 29 catches for 331 yards and one touchdown (149 of those yards came after the catch).
The Giants signed Chris Manhertz in March 2024 after he was released by the Denver Broncos. He played in all 17 games with 11 starts, serving primarily as a blocking tight end. Manhertz received 30 percent of all offensive snaps and caught just three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Drafted in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Daniel Bellinger began 2024 as the third-string tight end, only seeing his playing time dramatically increase in December as the feature tight end after Theo Johnson was hurt. Bellinger finished 2024 with just 14 catches for 125 yards. His offensive snap counts fell to just 32 percent in the 17 games he played with eight starts.
The Giants claimed Greg Dulcich off of waivers from the Denver Broncos in late November 2024. He played in five games for the Giants with no starts, receiving just 27 offensive snaps. Dulcich was not targeted in the passing game.
In all, New York Giants tight ends caught just 46 passes for 486 yards and two touchdowns.
ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: Everyone returns with the Giants re-signing Chris Manhertz. The Giants drafted Thomas Fidone in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed Jermaine Terry as a rookie free agent after the draft.
TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: How good is Theo Johnson? That’s the #1 question. Johnson combines excellent size and overall athleticism. He has the tools. Thankfully, he also seems completely recovered from his potentially serious Lisfranc foot injury. After a rough start to his rookie season, which included five dropped passes, Johnson was playing his best football as a blocker and receiver before he got hurt in late November. But can he develop into the type of player that other teams have to worry about in the passing game?
Manhertz is one-dimensional, but the coaching staff appears to value his blocking and leadership. As a rookie, Daniel Bellinger seemed poised to have a bright future, but two subpar seasons have diminished his prospects. Entering his contract season, this is a key year for him. He also could be pressed by Greg Dulcich and Thomas Fidone for playing time and even a roster spot.
Keep an eye on Fidone, a highly-recruited athlete with outstanding length. He also played in a pro-style offense at Nebraska.
ON THE BUBBLE: Barring something unforeseen, Theo Johnson is the starter and probably the only real sure thing.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I keep emphasizing this point, but it is hard to ignore: the Giants basically brought the previously-anemic offensive gang back together except at quarterback. Tight end is just one more example, along with the other skill positions and the offensive line. Forty-six receptions for 486 yards and two touchdowns is not good for a starter, let alone the entire unit in 2024. The Giants did not sign a veteran in free agency. They only addressed the position in the 219th overall selection in the draft. Clearly, they believe they have something to work with in Theo Johnson, but many will remain skeptical until proven otherwise.
The best-case scenario is that Theo Johnson develops into a stud and that Thomas Fidone turns out to be late-round gem. If not, then tight becomes a huge priority next offseason in free agency and/or the draft. Two other wild cards are Daniel Bellinger and Greg Dulcich, both mid-round selections from the 2022 NFL Draft. Odds are they are who they have been, but I would still not completely count out either.
FINAL DEPTH CHART: Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Daniel Bellinger, Thomas Fidone