The New York Giants have made a habit of rolling the dice late in the draft, hoping to strike gold in unexpected places.
This year, they may have landed a high-upside flier with real potential — if the medicals hold up.
Why Thomas Fidone is worth watching this summer
Taken with the 221st overall pick, tight end Thomas Fidone has already started turning heads during spring practices.
The 22-year-old out of Nebraska is a massive 6’6″, weighing in at 255 pounds, and he checks all the physical boxes.
Despite multiple ACL tears, Fidone is flashing traits that once made him a five-star recruit with legitimate NFL potential.
A wide catch radius gives quarterbacks breathing room
One of Fidone’s standout traits is his ability to make off-target throws look catchable, thanks to his impressive wingspan.
He led all tight ends in this year’s draft with 34-inch arms, giving quarterbacks a much-needed margin for error.
Last season, he caught 76.6% of his targets and produced 373 yards despite limited overall opportunities in Nebraska’s offense.
An offense in need of upside at tight end
The Giants have invested draft capital in tight ends for three of the last four years — but haven’t struck gold yet.
They’re intrigued by what Theo Johnson can bring, but adding competition never hurts when trying to build reliable depth.
If Fidone can prove he’s healthy, the floor could be a quality backup — and the ceiling might be something more.
Injuries have robbed some explosiveness, but hope remains
There’s no denying the toll Fidone’s knee injuries have taken on his movement, particularly his lateral quickness and fluidity.
That said, flashes of his former agility have surfaced in OTAs, suggesting there’s still athleticism buried under the rehab scars.
It’s like watching an old muscle car get tuned up — you know the power is there, it just needs a little fine-tuning.
Giants playing the long game at a critical position
General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have shown they value versatile tight ends with mismatch potential down the field.
Fidone’s frame and hands give him a real shot if he stays on the field and refines his route running in camp.
For a seventh-round pick, the Giants aren’t asking for a starter — but they might end up with much more than expected.
If he sticks, Fidone could be the kind of low-risk, high-reward story teams dream of developing through training camp.
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