The NFC East tight end race is already taking shape as training camp approaches, and the gap at the top is razor thin. In this first offensive installment of the NFC East Grading series, the Eagles came out ahead of the Giants by the slimmest of margins, while the Cowboys and Commanders filled out the rest of the order.
Dallas got the opening one-point slot, and it starts with Jake Ferguson. That part is easy enough to understand.
Ferguson is coming off an 81-catch, eight-touchdown season for Dak Prescott, and the Cowboys rewarded him with a four-year, $50-million extension. The issue is what comes after him.
Brevyn Spann-Ford is a useful, big-bodied blocker with 18 catches over the last two seasons, Luke Schoonmaker still hasn’t lived up to his second-round status from the 2023 draft, and the rest of the group - Michael Trigg, DJ Rogers and Princeton Fant - is built around competition for roster spots. Ferguson gives Dallas a real starter, but the depth drags the group down.
Washington landed in the middle with two points, and Chig Okonkwo is the big reason why. The Commanders brought him in on a three-year, $27-million deal to be Jayden Daniels’ top receiving tight end option in David Blough’s offense.
With Zach Ertz gone, Okonkwo is positioned to become the easy check-down target and a player with plenty of explosive upside. Ben Sinnott, Washington’s second-round pick in 2024, still hasn’t grabbed hold of the receiving role, so the pressure falls on Okonkwo to deliver.
The Giants were close to the top, and their case is built around both quality and balance. New York signed Isaiah Likely to a three-year, $40-million contract with $26-million guaranteed, bringing him in as the clear tight end one.
His ability to extend plays fits with how Jaxson Dart played last year, and he also looks like a strong match for the quick game in Matt Nagy’s offense. Theo Johnson should be heavily involved too, with a big share of snaps in 12 personnel.
He’s already a solid tight end two with real upside, and Chris Manhertz adds veteran leadership and blocking strength. The 13 personnel package should feature two strong blockers alongside Likely, and Thomas Fidone II flashed enough in training camp and preseason to stay in the mix if injuries open the door.
The Giants were good enough here to make a push for four points, but they had to settle for three because of what Philadelphia brings behind its starter.
That brings us to the Eagles, who took the top spot with four points. Dallas Goedert remains a major name in the division, even if he is on the wrong side of 30, and both Isaiah Likely and Jake Ferguson could still challenge him.
Philadelphia also added Eli Stowers out of Vanderbilt and Johnny Mundt, an excellent blocking tight end, while Grant Calcaterra was their second tight end last season. Stone Smartt gives them another flexible piece who can function as a fifth option and a special teamer.
The group is deep, versatile and built to help Sean Mannion’s offense handle heavy personnel looks.
The final totals told the story: Eagles 17 points, Giants 16 points. The Cowboys and Commanders were close behind in the grading, but the top two were separated by only the thinnest edge.
In Other News...
Giants Just Reached The Offseason Turning Point That Will Define Jaxson Dart
The offseason has already pushed the Giants to a crossroads, and the organizations latest moves show how seriously it is treating the developmental runway for Jaxson Dart. New head coach John Harbaugh gives the roster a steadier hand, while the team has tried to stack the deck around its young quarterback by adding help on both sides of the ball and using premium draft capital to land linebacker/edge rusher Arvell Reese and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa.
Still, the real pressure point is what comes next, because Darts growth will be shaped as much by who is available around him as by his own talent. The Giants are still monitoring Malik Nabers as he works back from injury, and they have fortified the line and defense with veterans like Jermaine Eluemunor, D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris and Tremaine Edmunds, but the bigger question is whether all of those pieces can come together quickly enough to make this reset matter for the quarterback they want to build around. [Read more 🡒]
Eli Manning Sees One Defining Test For Jaxson Dart In Year 2
The Manning Passing Academy marked its 30th year with a bigger footprint than ever, including expanded events and an NFL Films crew on hand to document the weekend. Eli Manning used the milestone setting to talk about how the academy has grown, while also keeping an eye on the Giants present and the way Jaxson Darts development fits into the next stage of his career.
For Manning, the real test in Darts second NFL season is the kind of progress that comes when a quarterback has to carry more than raw talent. The academy has long included sessions designed to help college passers get ready for professional football, and Dart now faces the same sort of steep climb, with command, preparation and the day-to-day demands of being the guy all taking center stage as the Giants look for the next step. [Read more 🡒]