One of the more pleasant surprises in 2022 was rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger.
Overshadowed by first-rounders Kayvon Thibodeaux and Eval Neal and second-rounder Wan’Dale Robinson, Bellinger was impressive in his rookie year providing more than the Giants could have hoped for.
Following his rookie campaign, Bellinger attended Tight End University this week, just as he did last offseason.
Tight End University, created by George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen in 2021, is a three-day offseason event bringing current and former tight ends together. Just prior to the 2023 TEU, Kittle spoke to Yahoo Sports! and singled out Bellinger as one of the NFL’s underrated tight ends.
I got @gkittle46 on board with my “restore the middle class of TEs” campaign in fantasy football and he gave me some guys who could make the leap this season pic.twitter.com/VWiB4gZfmS
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) June 14, 2023
“I like Bellinger out of the Giants,” Kittle said. “I think he’s a good tight end, does a lot of good stuff.”
Bellinger tallied 30 receptions for 268 yards and two touchdowns in 2022 while missing time due to an eye injury.
The addition of Darren Waller, who is one of the league’s best tight ends when healthy, changes Bellinger’s role in the offense. Bellinger is learning from Waller and soaking in his time at Tight End U in order to improve his game:
“Really, it’s the same thing I do with Darren (Waller),” Bellinger said. “Just sit down with those guys and, again, pick their brain. I can watch their film all day, kind of try to mimic what they do on the field. At the same time, I have to kind of create my own way of doing it. Really just trying to think about how they think and their process when they’re on the field before play.”
Last week, at the Giants’ organized team activities (OTAs), Bellinger was noticeably more muscular.
Fans should be excited about the Giants’ tight end group ahead of 2023 — offensive coordinator Mike Kafka certainly is. Between bulking up and learning from Waller and the pros at Tight End University, Bellinger is putting in the work to continue to get better.
