Is Terry a real diamond in the rough?
The New York Giants made several curious moves with their undrafted free agent signings.
The most notable was bringing in six wide receivers — as well as several veteran free agent additions. But bringing in Oregon State tight end Jermaine Terry II isn’t going to raise many flags, particularly considering that the Giants also drafted a tight end in the seventh round.
Terry transferred from Cal to Oregon State prior to the 2023 season, but was never a major factor at either stop. So why did the Giants make him one of their priority free agents? Is he merely a camp body, or does he have untapped upside?
What does he bring?
That is, in fact, the question with Terry.
He had 29 receptions in 25 games spread across two years at Oregon State, totaling 427 yards and two touchdowns.
The Beavers have hardly been world beaters and given how the Pac-12 fell apart over the last two years, it’s incredibly difficult to find tape on any of their prospects. Frankly, finding much of anything on Terry might be a labor of Hercules. That said, I was able to track down some tape to work with.
Terry sports a lean and athletic physique at roughly 6-foot-4 and listed at 245 pounds.
A common refrain around those who cover Oregon State is that Terry was woefully under-utilized in the Beavers’ offense. And to be fair, his lone touchdown catch on the season — against Washington State — showed off some decent vertical speed as well as play strength and balance to make the catch and run through contact.
So they may have a real point.
He does appear to be athletic and versatile in the scant tape I was able to find.
Terry lined up as an H-back, in-line tight end, and receiver for the Beavers, though he was mostly utilized as a blocker. Terry is a competitive blocker who’s willing to take on larger edge defenders, and is able to do enough to slow them down. He’s athletic enough to be an accurate (and effective) blocker on the perimeter and second level.
When he did release into a route, he accelerated smoothly and seems to have good change of direction skills. He has enough speed to get downfield and attack seams, as well as enough agility to execute stick or come-back routes.
He does need to improve his snap recognition, however, and was often one of the last players moving.
Can he stick?
The Giants suddenly have a crowded depth chart at tight end with Theo Johnson, Daniel Bellinger, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich, and seventh-round pick Thomas Fidone II.
Terry’s path to the Giants’ 53-man roster is definitely a steep one.
It seems likely that the Giants will only keep three tight ends on their roster. Terry has a chance to impress, particularly if those close to Oregon State are correct that he was under-utilized yet has explosive potential. It’s possible that he could force the Giants’ hand with a fantastic camp and pre-season. The potential might be there for explosive plays in practice or late in pre-season games.
That said, it’s more likely that Terry winds up on the Giants’ practice squad. He does seem to have intriguing athletic traits that could blossom with a year of work behind the scenes.
