The New York Giants leaned into heavier personnel in key stretches last season, deploying 12 personnel on 12% of snaps with Jaxson Dart at quarterback and Theo Johnson emerging as the primary option. They mixed in 13 personnel at a 5% clip, showcasing a physical tight end room that included Daniel Bellinger and Chris Manhertz. But with both veterans entering free agency and Matt Nagy taking over the offense, the position group is suddenly in flux.
Former seventh-round pick Thomas Fidone II remains on the roster, leaving the Giants at a crossroads as they evaluate how much their identity will continue to run through heavier sets — and who, exactly, will anchor them. A few familiar faces for John Harbaugh enter free agency, and they could be options for Joe Schoen and the Giants.
Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
Isaiah Likely spent his rookie contract in the shadow of Mark Andrews, but he flashed consistently across four seasons under John Harbaugh. He hauled in 146 of 198 targets for 1,744 yards and 17 total touchdowns, though 2025 marked a quieter campaign: 27 receptions on 34 targets for 307 yards and one score.
At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Likely is an athletic tight end who blocks well on the move and presents a legitimate threat at all three levels of the field. He’s averaged 11.9 yards per reception with an 8.2-yard average depth of target, securing 14 of 23 contested opportunities (60.9%) while posting 1.44 yards per route run. Despite a modest target share early in his career, he still forced 30 missed tackles and only dropped a pair of passes over the past two seasons.
Spotrac projects his market value at just north of $8 million annually, though teams may view his untapped upside as a reason to push that figure higher once free agency opens.
There was a rumor, though, that has not been confirmed or denied to my knowledge, that Likely through a party to celebrate the firing of John Harbaugh. If that’s the case, I don’t think he’d come to the Giants.
Charlie Kolar, Baltimore Ravens
Kolar was the tight end three for the Baltimore Ravens since 2022. He wasn’t used often as a receiver — he caught 31 of 40 passes for 413 yards with four touchdowns in his career. He is coming off a career-high 402 snaps in 2025. In total, he’s played 991 offensive snaps.
The 6-6, 257-pound tight end is a seam threat with adequate speed, but would primarily act as a quality blocker in 12/13 personnel, while being athletic enough to threaten on the vertical plane. What athletic ability he does possess is maximized by a 95th-percentile wing-span over the middle of the field. Kolar obviously has familiarity with John Harbaugh, and he could be an inexpensive option to help round out the tight end room.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
The 26-year-old spent his rookie contract in a tumultuous overall offensive environment. The 6-3, 238-pound tight end played 2,402 snaps through his career, with 600-plus snaps in each of his last three seasons for Tennessee. He aligned 46.7% of the time in the slot and 13.9% out wide, with just a 35.5% in-line snap rate. Okonkwo could be an interesting addition if the Giants move on from Wan’Dale Robinson and want to get creative with how they blend their 11- and 12-personnel packages.
He caught more than 50 passes in each of his last three seasons. He finished his rookie contract with 194 catches on 262 targets for 2,017 yards with eight touchdowns and an average of 10.4 yards per reception. He averaged a 58.8% contested catch rate (20 of 34) with 13 total drops and 14 penalties committed.
Spotrac.com lists Okonkwo’s market value at $7.9 million as his average annual salary. His specific skill-set fits what many teams are looking for — a field-stretching athletic threat who is comfortable operating out of the slot and playing in-line. He’s not a dynamic blocker, though, but has a valuable skill set, nonetheless. He also worked under the Giants’ current tight ends coach, Tim Kelly, in his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Titans.
Tucker Fisk, LA Chargers
Fisk spent the past two seasons in Los Angeles under Jim Harbaugh, alongside the Giants’ current run game coordinator and senior offensive assistant, Greg Roman. His 2025 campaign was derailed early by a toe injury suffered in Week 1. He later returned, only to land on injured reserve in early December with an ankle issue. Fisk was ultimately reactivated for the Wild Card loss to the Patriots.
In total, Fisk logged 251 snaps in 2025 after playing 218 in 2024, limiting the sample size but offering a specific role for the Giants’ offense: a move tight end/fullback. Many have linked the Giants to full-back Patrick Ricard; that could be an option for New York, but Fisk is an even cheaper player to explore. His signing would not guarantee a spot on the 53-man roster, but there could be a role for Fisk’s skill set in the new offense led by Jaxson Dart.
Daniel Bellinger and Chris Manhertz
Despite never quite being fully featured, Daniel Bellinger proved to be a steady asset throughout his rookie contract with the New York Giants. He was an effective blocker on the move who “lost” slowly enough to hold his own in-line, while offering reliable hands as a receiving outlet for the Giants’ quarterbacks.
Bellinger caught 85.8% of his targets, averaging 10.5 yards per reception with a 5.4-yard average depth of target. A dependable check-down option, he secured 91 of 106 career targets for 956 yards and five touchdowns across four seasons.
For long-time readers of the site, my infatuation with Chris Manhertz as a tight end three is well documented, so I would love to retain both Bellinger and Manhertz. The latter, though, is an extra offensive lineman who SHOULD have one touchdown from 2025 — peers at Gunner Olszewski. Jokes aside, Manhertz was revered for his leadership by previous coaches, and he’s still an effective blocker.
