Every year NFL teams find “gems” in the draft. Those are players that get overlooked during the weekend of the NFL draft and either go undrafted or get selected later than expected and go on to have solid pro careers.
In a recent piece in Bleacher Report, Ian Wharton lists each team’s potential “gem” in this year’s rookie class. For the New York Giants, it’s fourth-round tight end Daniel Bellinger, selected 112th overall out of San Diego State.
Bellinger could be the rare rookie tight end who puts up solid numbers if he’s featured enough. At 6’5″, 253 pounds, Bellinger is a big target for quarterback Daniel Jones to hit up the seams. Despite producing only 68 career catches for 771 yards and five scores at San Diego State, Bellinger showed strong hands and great post-catch effort. He opened eyes with his 4.63-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
A willing blocker and possibly untapped athlete, Bellinger needs opportunities to develop for this offense to reach its ceiling. With defenses more concerned about Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard, Bellinger should get plenty of advantageous looks. Watch for the Day 3 pick to earn steal status quickly.
Wharton points out that new head coach Brian Daboll got the most out of Dawson Knox during his time as the offensive coordinator in Buffalo and could use Bellinger in a similar role as a “potential difference-maker.”
Knox had a breakout season in 2021 with 49 receptions for 587 yards and nine touchdowns.
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