The New York Giants are undergoing an overhaul on both sides of the ball in 2026 and beyond. And while we can guess at what it will look like, we don’t know for sure what the new regime has planned.
One of the constants for both new head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has been good tight end play. The Giants have talented tight ends, however the play from them has been uneven.
Staford tight end Sam Roush has been very consistent in the face of poor quarterback play and is also a Pro Ready blocker. Could he be an option if the value is right and the Giants decide to move on from Daniel Bellinger?
Prospect: Sam Roush (86)
Games Watched: vs. Pitt (2025), vs. Miami (2025), vs. Cal (2025)
Red Flags: none
Measurables
Height: 6-foot 5⅝
Weight: 259
Arm length: 31
Hand size: 9 ¾ inches
Strengths
Best traits
- Blocking
- Play strength
- Competitive toughness
- Pass catching
- Football IQ
Roush is a big, powerful, athletic, and well-rounded tight end with a near prototypical blend of size, speed, and play strength.
Roush is a classic “Y” tight end who’s almost tailor built to be an in-line tight end is already an excellent blocker. He plays with great leverage and technique, allowing him to drive defensive backs and most off-ball linebackers off the line of scrimmage. He also has the play strength to “lose with dignity” or even stalemate edge defenders as a run blocker or pass protector.
He’s a relatively capable route runner and executes a fairly diverse route tree in Stanford’s offense. Roush is a dependable catcher of the ball who does an excellent job of locating and tracking the ball, framing the catch, and securing the pass before turning upfield. He has enough long speed to threaten defenses vertically up the seam and is typically efficient in his releases and route stems.
Roush is a smart pass catcher who understands route concepts and how to play without the ball, as well as how to find voids in zone coverage and make himself available in scramble drills. Those traits combine to make him an effective weapon as well as a reliable checkdown option.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Agility
- Change of direction
- Arm length
Roush is a well-rounded tight end prospect, though he has a couple issues in his profile.
First and foremost, he has limited agility and change of direction skills. Roush has a tendency to round off his breaks which can make it easier for defenders to stay in phase, particularly on short and sharply breaking routes. Likewise, it can make it a bit difficult for him to turn upfield after working back to the ball, or foul his accuracy when blocking smaller defenders in space. He simply won’t be confused with more athletic “hybrid” tight ends who can move more like receivers.
Roush also has short (31-inch) arms which impact him as a receiver and as (potentially) as a blocker. He has a relatively big catch radius by virtue of his height, however it isn’t nearly as big as it would be if he had long arms with which to extend and pluck the ball out of the air. Likewise, Roush may not be quite as effective a blocker against longer-limbed defenders at the NFL level. He’ll have a more difficult time establishing inside leverage and controlling defenders if he isn’t able to get his hands on them first.
Game Tape
(Roush is the Stanford tight end wearing number 86)
Projection
Sam Roush projects as a classic “Y” tight end at the NFL level. Whether or not he has starting upside or is regarded as a very good blocking TE2 with pass catching upside will likely depend on the needs of the team evaluating him, as well as his athletic testing.
Teams looking for a hybrid tight end will want to look elsewhere. Likewise, 11-personnel teams that want a big, athletic “matchup nightmare” might move down their boards as well. That said, Roush should become a good, reliable option, with the upside to start for whichever team selects him.
Does he fit the Giants? Yes
Final Word: A Day 2 value who could slip to Day 3
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