INDIANAPOLIS — There were so many things that went oh-so-wrong for the Giants last season that it can be difficult to enumerate and place the blame in the appropriate order. So many failings to rank.
Somewhere fairly prominent on the list is the sad state of affairs at the tight end position. The vision — Evan Engram as the elusive playmaker, newly-imported Kyle Rudolph as the veteran touchdown-maker — never came into focus and the blurring was another spoke in the offensive wheel of ineptitude.
Engram is an impending free agent and is expected to sign elsewhere. There will be a market for a 27-year old with 262 career receptions, as Engram with a new team will be unburdened by the lofty draft pedigree he was unable to live up to.
Rudolph on Wednesday said his goodbyes via social media after he became the first of several salary cap cuts new general manager Joe Schoen will make. This move saves the Giants $5 million on the cap.
The Giants will need to restock this position and there is no doubt they are in the tight end market this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.
It is certainly not inconceivable that the Giants think long and hard about a tight end on the second day (rounds 2 and 3) of the NFL Draft. Somewhere on Day 3 (rounds 4-7) is probably more reasonable. New head coach Brian Daboll needs some semblance of a threat at tight end to make life easier for Daniel Jones, entering a make-or-break season. It is no surprise the Giants for Wednesday night set up a formal meeting with Trey McBride from Colorado State, who should be one of the first tight ends off the board.
McBride called Andy Bischoff, the new Giants tight end coach, “a great guy” based on a conversation they engaged in earlier in the day.
A small-town guy from Fort Morgan, Colo., McBride won the John Mackey Award as the best tight end in college football in 2021. As a senior, he caught 90 passes for 1,121 yards and likes to compare his game to that of George Kittle of the 49ers. Hearing his name first, before every other tight end, well that would be something special.
“It would be a dream come true, really,” McBride said. “Just to be the first guy taken would be an unbelievable honor and something I’m continually working on to achieve that goal.”
The Giants cannot forfeit this position. They only have one healthy tight end on their roster, Chris Myarick. Jake Hausmann was signed to a reserve/future contract. Three tight ends — Kaden Smith, Levine Toilolo and Rysen John — are on the reserve/injured list.
Engram, the 2017 first-round pick, had 46 receptions for 408 yards and three touchdowns in his fifth and almost definitely final season with the Giants. Four tight ends caught passes for the Giants in 2021, totaling 78 catches for 715 yards and five touchdowns.
McBride is the most accomplished pass-catching tight end in this draft. Jeremy Ruckert, from Lindenhurst on Long Island, is near the other end of the spectrum. He caught 54 passes for 615 yards and 12 touchdowns in his four-year career at Ohio State. With an array of Buckeyes weapons, the tight end was often a fourth or fifth option and amassing eye-catching numbers was not going to happen.
“I don’t know if underrated is the right word,” Ruckert said of the perception he has suspect pass-catching ability. “I have confidence in myself. People might not think that’s one of my strengths but I believe in myself, I know what I can do.
“I knew going to Ohio State the production might not be there but the person I became, the player I became, the versatility I’ve been able to adapt to, I don’t regret that at all. That’s what’s got me here.”
Other options for the Giants: Cade Otton (Washington), Jalen Wydermyer (Texas A&M), Isaiah Likely (Coastal Carolina) and Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin).
The Giants could add a tight end in free agency, but they will not have much to spend. The draft is a more affordable option. With nine picks, there is room to maneuver and if Daboll spots a prospect he can groom into a target at tight end, it makes sense to add him into the mix.
“I think I’m the complete tight end that can kinda do it all,” McBride said.
If the Giants agree with this assessment, it could be a match.
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