The Giants made a splash in the offseason by trading for tight end Darren Waller to add to their offensive weaponry. The team made the move around the same time it signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year extension.
Waller immediately projects as Jones’s best receiving option, and Jones isn’t shy to admit how important an addition Waller is for New York. The quarterback explained how his confidence in Waller increased after practices began.
“I was fired up,” Jones said, via ESPN. “I was even more fired up when I saw him on the field.”
Although the Giants earned a playoff berth and won a wild-card game last season, their regular-season leader in receiving yards was Darius Slayton with just 724. That contributed to the decision to acquire Waller, and all it cost them was a third-round pick. Additionally, Richie James, who ranked second on the team with 569 receiving yards last season, left to join the Chiefs in the offseason.
Throughout training camp, Waller has turned heads in practice. The tight end totaled over 1,000 yards receiving in 2019 and ’20 but dealt with injuries over the past two seasons. Still, in 20 games since 2021, Waller produced 1,053 receiving yards for the Raiders.