There isn't an NFL Insider out there who could have guessed last week that the New York Giants were going to be trading a retired player to the Miami Dolphins. In a shocking move, Joe Schoen and the front office sent former tight end Darren Waller packing for South Beach in exchange for a 2026 conditional 2026 sixth-round draft pick. The Giants also sent a 2027 conditional seventh-round pick to Miami as part of the deal.
This trade can't hurt the Giants in any way, shape, or form. Waller was never going to play another snap in New York, and getting draft capital—even if it's insignificant—out of a retired player is more than most teams are able to pull off during the dead of the summer.
Sadly, the Waller trade is a depressing reminder of the dismal state of the Giants' biggest weakness: the tight end position.
The New York Giants must improve their tight end room before the 2025 season
The New York Giants didn't get a fraction of the compensation back that they spent to acquire Darren Waller. In 2023, Schoen surrendered a third-round pick. Waller was expected to do big things in New York, but he managed just 52 receptions for 552 yards and a touchdown in his lone season with the Giants in 2023 before calling it quits.
However, the Giants would love to get that much production out of the tight end position these days. In 2024, Theo Johnson led all Giants tight ends with a mere 29 receptions for 331 yards. Daniel Bellinger, meanwhile, chipped in just 14 catches for 125 yards in 17 games (eight starts), and though third tight end Chris Manhertz served as a capable in-line blocker when called upon, he earned just three receptions for 30 yards in 17 games.
Collectively, there was a case to be made that this was the worst tight end room in the NFL last year, and the Giants have done nothing to improve this unit during the 2025 offseason.
While there's obviously hope that Johnson can develop into a respectable starter, we didn't see nearly enough flashes from the young tight end in his first season in 2024. Johnson ranked 60th out of 74 qualifying tight ends with a 53.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus last season.
Unfortunately, the somewhat respectable tight end pool in free agency has been picked over thoroughly, and no quality options remain. If the New York Giants want to upgrade their tight end room, they'll have to do so via trade.
Head coach Brian Daboll made it clear that he would like to get rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart on the field sooner rather than later, but Malik Nabers remains the only consistent option in the passing game. A good tight end is a quarterback's best friend, and this is something the Giants have lacked for years. Joe Schoen should look to fix this before the start of the season.
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