Breaking Down Giants Fourth-round Pick Daniel Bellinger, TE

Coach Gene Clemons explores how new Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger potentially fits into the mix.

The Giants needed to add a tight end, and they finally addressed it with San Diego State tight end Daniel Bellinger.

Right now, it's probably fair to say that they don't have a tight end on the roster that one might feel would run away with the starting spot, so Bellinger has a legitimate shot to come in and win the job, especially with his run blocking prowess.

It wouldn't be surprising if Cade Otton was on the Giants' radar, but New York grabbed another inline tight end when the Bucs scooped him up with the first pick of the fourth round.

Bellinger will be called upon to lean on his blocking ability in this Giants offense and maybe flash receiving ability in play action.

Strengths

His blocking is where his talents lie. He is a prototypical inline "Y" and possibly even a throwback to tight ends in the late 90s and early 2000s.

He is great at working into his blocks. He gets great fits in run blocking. He uses his hands well and has ideal placement to help control defenders. His hands are heavy and strong. He can stun defenders and keep them in his grasp.

His down block and base block are good. He rolls his hips and runs his feet through the block. His explosion out of his stance allows him to get on defenders quickly and get to the second level instantly.

Mix that with a 6-foot-5, 250-pound frame, and he can cover up defenders. His blocking prowess opens up his transition into play-action routes like crosses, flats, and pop passes.

The New York Giants pick San Diego State TE Daniel Bellinger at No. 112 overall.

NINETY-FOUR positively graded run blocks since 2019 (1st among MWC TEs) 💢 pic.twitter.com/0nLgLzhuPn

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 30, 2022

Needed Improvement

Although he's a good blocker, he could be more consistent with his effort and work to keep his pad level lower.

His bigger improvement will need to come as a receiver. He's pretty robotic in his route running and does not have the speed to threaten deep so defenders can sit on his routes.

He does not get in and out of his breaks well, so defenders stay attached to him, and he needs to fight for the catch. He also does not possess a great run-after-catch ability, so the play is likely over right there when he catches a ball.

INLINE

Immediate Impact for Giants

Bellinger is a young, energetic blocker, and he could find himself on the field early to help spring Saquon Barkley and other runners.

He should also be a factor on special teams, where he could be a value on every unit. He has reliable ball skills and has a knack for working against zone coverage that will serve the Giants in-play action with the attention returning to stopping a predicted much-improved run game.

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Round 4, No. 112: TE Daniel Bellinger

Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 253 pounds
College: San Diego State
Class: Senior

• Two-star recruit out of Las Vegas
• First-team All-Nevada honors as a senior tight end/linebacker
• Started 11 games as a sophomore in 2019
• Honorable mention All-Mountain West Conference in 2020
• Started all 13 games for the Aztecs in 2021, caught a career-high 31 passes for 357 yards.
• Senior Bowl invite
• NFL Combine invite

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