Ryan Clark knows exactly how to light a fire under Giants fans, and he did it with one sentence on NFL Live.
While talking about Isaiah Likely, the former defensive back turned analyst reached for one of the biggest comps in football and didn’t blink.
“He can have a young Travis Kelce effect for this New York Giants offense.”
That’s the kind of comparison that sends a fan base straight into daydream mode. Kelce isn’t just any tight end; he’s the standard. So when Clark puts Likely in that neighborhood, even with the obvious caveats, it’s hard not to start imagining what this could look like in New York.
To be clear, the production gap is massive. Likely’s numbers have nowhere near matched Kelce’s through their first four seasons. Kelce came into the league putting up more than 800 receiving yards, and outside of the rookie year wiped out by a brutal knee injury, he has never finished a season with fewer than 820 yards or three touchdowns.
Likely’s path has been different, and a big reason is the presence of Mark Andrews ahead of him on the depth chart. The 26-year-old has never gone beyond 477 receiving yards in a season.
But the Giants didn’t hand him a three-year, $40 million deal earlier this offseason for what he’s already done. That contract is about what they think he can become. At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, he’s an upside bet, and it gets a lot more interesting if he starts flashing even a little of Kelce’s impact.
Clark’s point was really about style, not résumé. Likely’s route running, his work after the catch, and the way he can be used as a jumbo slot all line up with the kind of weapon Kelce has been for years. That’s the part that should have Giants fans leaning in.
And the opportunity is there. Malik Nabers’ health is still up in the air, and Likely now has a chance to produce at a level he hasn’t reached before. He also brings familiarity with new head coach John Harbaugh, who knows how to create mismatches, since Likely spent his first four seasons in Baltimore with him.
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For a young quarterback like Jaxson Dart, that kind of target can matter quickly. Likelys ability to create space and give the offense an easier outlet should help the passing game settle in, and it also gives the Giants another piece defenses have to account for before they can load up on Malik Nabers. The fit is obvious enough, even if the full payoff still has to be earned on the field. [Read more 🡒]
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