New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Jones impressed by Darren Waller's versatility

By Trevor Woods | Last updated 5/25/23

The New York Giants have a new weapon on offense and a major upgrade at the tight end position in Darren Waller. The former Las Vegas Raiders standout is already making an impression on Giants QB Daniel Jones, who says Waller's "been great".

"As soon as you walk on the field, you can see he's a big guy," Jones said, per Giants.com. "He can run every route. Catches the ball really well, great body control. He's been really fun to work with. A really smart guy. He's picked up things really quickly too."

Jones went on to say that Waller is a true 6'6" player that "can fly".

"He's just an impressive athlete. He's been locked in," Jones explained. "You can tell it's important to him. He's put a lot of effort into learning the stuff and getting caught up. It's been fun working with him."

Daniel Jones sings the praises of Darren Waller: pic.twitter.com/vBYMA3AJhB
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) May 25, 2023

The Giants ranked No. 27 in passing yards last season with just 3,431 yards. The addition of Waller can lessen the burden on RB Saquon Barkley and help make the Giants more balanced and less reliant on the run.

Waller suffered injuries the past two seasons that limited him to 20 games, but when healthy he's among the biggest matchup nightmares at TE in the NFL. In 2019 and 2020 Waller accumulated 197 total receptions for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Giants will be hoping Waller stays healthy and can generate similar production.

From what Jones is saying, expect to see Waller lined up and utilized in a variety of ways for New York.

"He's obviously a tough matchup for people, for defenses, with a guy who can run like that with that kind of size, and how you play him in man and how you account for him in zone coverages," Jones said. "He definitely gives something for a defense to worry about or to game plan for, and we can move him around and put him in different spots. Just a super versatile player."

The Giants will be looking to head back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season, and if they wind up making noise in the NFC, Waller will be one of the major reasons why.

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