Daniel Bellinger

The Giants have a new-look TE room in 2022, but the first piece of news at the position as training camps are set to open isn’t a positive one. The team announced on Thursday that rookie Daniel Bellinger has been placed on the active/PUP list with a quad injury. 

The San Diego State alum signed his rookie deal earlier this week, allowing him to shift his attention to a training camp which should provide him every opportunity to carve out a significant role in the Giants’ offense. New York no longer has Evan Engram or Kyle Rudolph at the position, so a starting role is available to be won this summer.

Bellinger’s lack of production in college (no more than 357 receiving yards in a single season) contributed to his name not being called until the fourth round of the draft. Still, his time with the Aztecs showcased a combination of receiving and blocking skills which should give him a path to playing time right away in the NFL. Bellinger received first-team reps during spring workouts, so his absence will be felt when veterans report to camp next week.

Other than Bellinger, the Giants currently have veterans Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins on the roster. They will see an uptick in practice snaps while Bellinger recovers from the injury, the severity of which is unknown. Fortunately for Big Blue, he can be activated at any time, allowing him to continue getting acclimated to an offense much in need of a step forward in 2022 when he is able to do so.

Another member of the Giants’ rookie class has officially inked his first NFL deal. The team announced on Monday that tight end Daniel Bellinger has signed his rookie contract. 

Bellinger spent five seasons at San Diego State, taking on a significant role starting in his second campaign. He didn’t put up the receiving numbers of other, more highly-touted prospects at his position at any point during his tenure with the Aztecs, though his best production came in his final season. He totalled 357 yards on 31 receptions, while showcasing the athleticism which had many draft analysts noting he was likely underutilized in the team’s offensive system.

Despite the relatively pedestrian production Bellinger put up across his 43 college contests, he could have a path to significant playing time as a rookie. New York no longer has Evan Engram or Kyle Rudolph on the roster, so the six-foot-six, 255-pounder saw reps with the first-team offense during the spring. With a (presumably) healthy Saquon Barkley and a pass-catching corps including Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and second-round rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, though, Bellinger likely won’t see many targets early on during his time in the Big Apple.

Bellinger will be competing for a starting spot with veterans Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins, both of whom signed one-year deals this offseason as stopgaps in the absence of Engram and Rudolph. If not immediately, then in the near future at least, he should be able to take on a significant role as the team looks to take some much-needed steps forward on offense.

Given today’s news, nine members of the Giants’ draft class have now been signed. Only Robinson and fourth-round safety Dane Belton have yet to finalize their contracts.