The New York Giants signed former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely to a three-year, $40-million contract that can be juiced to $47.5 million. Likely was with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, and he was the dynamic tight end two behind Mark Andrews. His receiving usage was limited for a player of his potential; his best season was 2024, when he secured 49 of 65 passes for 603 yards with seven touchdowns (playoffs included).
Likely is coming off a down year; he caught 27 of 34 passes for 307 yards with one touchdown. He broke his fifth metatarsal in late July, and he underwent surgery that held him out until Week 4.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound tight end is only 25-years old. He had a slot percentage of 59.2% throughout his career in Baltimore. He’s secured over 60% of his contested catches and had a 73% reception rate that’s paired with an 11.9 yards per reception number, and an 8.2-yard aDot.
It’s no secret that the Giants were interested in signing a tight end like Likely. The familiarity is comforting, sure, but his presence allows the Giants to adopt a more Harbaugh-Roman centric offense — one that will be predicated on heavier personnel packages.
Likely at an Average Annual Value of slightly more than $13-million makes a TON more sense than Wan’Dale Robinson at a $17.5-million number, especially with the presumed decline in 11-personnel that will take place with Harbaugh, Matt Nagy, and Greg Roman.
Likely has soft hands that effortlessly extend away from his frame. He’s more sudden than I expected with his cuts and he has precise footwork up his stem and when framing his blocks. He’s a smart player who was a CONSISTENT and reliable option for Lamar Jackson when the structure of a play broke down:
Isaiah Likely is a three-level threat with nuance, a high football IQ, and the body control, concentration, and toughness that allow him to maximize his potential — which I’d argue is quite high for a player with his skill set.
Another important aspect of the signing is the alleviation of duty on Theo Johnson, who has struggled but has flashed at assuming the role of tight end one. However, it is likely (pun intended) that Theo Johnson maintains a higher snap share than Isaiah Likely. Johnson is a dominant run blocker — a strong presence in the trenches. And he does possess vertical ability, along with his massive catch radius.
Johnson is also a good friend of Jaxson Dart. Theo Johnson is not going anywhere, but the signing of Likely disperses the burden of being a go-to target behind Malik Nabers, especially in a Matt Nagy passing attack that has featured the tight end position.
Likely and Johnson can both be used as receivers, and both thrive at specific tasks when run blocking. Johnson can handle trench work — and he’s also very good on the move — but Likely is too quite impressive as a move-blocker on the run.
I cut up a bunch of clips and added commentary to the video. Enjoy, like and subscribe!
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