Isaiah Likely arrived in New York with a lot of eyes on him, and he knows exactly why.
The Giants brought over a familiar face from John Harbaugh’s Baltimore world, and Likely sits near the top of that group as the biggest free-agent splash of the bunch. He’s the tight end Harbaugh wanted, the one he believes can become a real weapon in this offense. Now Likely is trying to make that investment look as smart as it sounded.
“I sure hope he’s a big weapon,” Harbaugh said. “I hope he’s a guy that makes a bunch of plays for us. That’s why we brought him here.”
For Likely, the move comes after four seasons in Baltimore, where he worked behind All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews and never fully got the kind of runway that turns promise into stardom. He did, though, pick up something he values even more: a clearer understanding of how to play at a higher level.
“He’s taught me a lot since I’ve come in the league,” Likely said following Tuesday’s practice. “Being able to just understand zones, to be able to just go out there, run freely and just let my talent shine. So, I feel like Mark’s brought me to the point now where I feel like being myself, being a star caliber tight end that I see myself being.”
That background matters in New York because Likely isn’t walking into a static situation. He’s stepping into an offense being shaped by Matt Nagy, Tim Kelly, Brian Callahan and Greg Roman, with Nagy functioning as the coordinator and the blend of ideas designed to make the Giants harder to read. Likely sees it as a group effort, not one coach stamping his identity on everything.
As he put it, the offense is, “Just taking the flavors of just coaching from Coach Nagy [offensive coordinator Matt Nagy], Coach TK [tight ends coach Tim Kelly], [quarterbacks] Coach [Brian] Callahan, Coach Greg Roman as well. And then all just trying to make it our offense.”
Roman’s presence is especially familiar to Likely. Roman was his play-caller as a rookie in 2022, when the Ravens finished with one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks, ranking second in total yardage, yards per game and yards per attempt, fourth in rushing EPA and seventh in rushing attempts. Likely called Roman “a wizard” and said there are similarities in the way the run game is being handled now.
“I’d say there’s similarities in the run game,” Likely said of what Roman schemed in 2022. “Obviously, G-Ro’s a wizard, best of the best when it comes to the run.”
The bigger picture, though, is about disguise. Likely said the goal is to make the offense look the same no matter what’s coming, forcing defenses to hesitate before they react.
“Whether it’s running, pass, making everything look alike and putting the best players in situations to win,” Likely said.
“Obviously trying to keep everything as simple as possible so you don’t have to think a lot when you’re out there. But dressing [the offense] up to the defense to make it look like exotic, creativity and be able to put the best players in the best situation to win.”
That approach, he said, fits with what running back Tyrone Tracy calls “Elegant Simplicity.”
It’s also been tough to sort out in practice so far. Likely said the offense hasn’t found much traction yet, though that can be read two ways: as a concern for the unit, or as a sign the Giants’ defense is winning the day.
The defensive front has been strong throughout camp, and the secondary has been active too.
“I feel like no matter who you put out there, they have a job to do,” Likely said. “And Coach Dennard [defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson] out there, he’s telling them every day to compete.
Nobody has a guaranteed spot every day. I mean, every day is a new day.
“And they know that when they’re out there, when they see nine [Likely’s number], when they see anybody out there, I’m going to give you the best look that you can get. So, I feel like that’s the competing aspect of training camp. And that’s going to help us during the season.”
Likely’s confidence is easy to hear. He knows he’s one piece of a bigger puzzle, not the whole picture. But he also knows why the Giants paid him, and what he has to do to justify it.
“I come out every day telling myself just win your one-eleventh every play, and whether it has run or pass matchups, whether it’s zone or man. And I feel like, if I win my one-eleventh, whether it’s I got to go against safety, linebacker, the end, corner, just giving Jax the best possibility to throw the ball or running back to be able to run in space.”
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