One Pending Free-agent Offensive Weapon Deemed Ideal Fit for Giants

A new analysis projects an intriguing pass catcher to join new Giants' head coach John Harbaugh in East Rutherford.

Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) on the sidelines against the Baltimore Ravens during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

 While the New York Giants entered the 2025 season thinking they had assembled a completely loaded receiving corps to both complement and unleash the more impressive arm talent of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, they quickly learned they had more work to do just four weeks into the season.

That was because Dart's surefire No. 1 target, wide receiver Malik Nabers, went down with a season-ending ACL injury just a couple of quarters into the rookie's first NFL start with the Giants in Week 4, an absence that left the team without any real clear options that could stretch the field and demand the attention of the opposing defense.

Luckily for Dart, the Giants found one of those guys in slot receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, who despite his smaller size at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, was able to overcome the limitations placed on players of his stature and capitalize on opportunities to make more plays away from the line of scrimmage, resulting in his first 1,000-yard campaign and his first with an average haul over 10 yards.

However, Robinson is slated to receive competing offers on the free agent market very soon and could skip town for a bigger payday.

Such a loss to the roster would leave the Giants with a less impressive collection of receivers heading into 2026, one that had no other player surpass 600 yards of production, which is pretty hard to do in the current 17-game schedule.

If Robinson leaves in March, and Nabers isn't ready for Week 1, how will the Giants pivot to ensure they have a more competitive position group for next season?

A new analysis by Pro Football Network believes there is an interesting pass catcher that could shake loose to solve New York's problem: Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely.

"Harbaugh loves tight ends, and Isaiah Likely gives rookie Jaxson Dart another reliable weapon," PFN analyst Ryan Guthrie said.

"Paired with Theo Johnson, the Giants could recreate the Andrews–Likely dynamic that worked so well in Baltimore."

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Would Isaiah Likely Fit What the Giants Offense Wants to Do in 2026?

Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. | Peter Casey-Imagn Images

At his introductory press conference, Harbaugh mentioned a few characteristics he expects to see in his football team's play next season. One of those elements he made sure to explain was more explosiveness on the offensive end.

Harbaugh is lucky to have a second-year gunslinger in Jaxson Dart, who can fuel that aspect of the offense. With Dart under center, the Giants posted the NFL's fifth-highest deep passing rate this past season, and the quarterback tied for 16th with 50 pass attempts of 20+ yards.

What's left to be added to the equation is another receiving threat who can get vertical and put opposing defenses on their toes at a high volume.

After Wan'Dale Robinson's team-leading metrics, the only other Giants pass catcher that tallied at least 40 receptions and an average of 11.0 yards was tight end Theo Johnson, who finished with the best five receiving touchdowns for a skilled player.

In the case of Isaiah Likely and his fit, which Guthrie vouches for in his analysis, it might not make the most sense for boosting the Giants' vertical offense.

The 2022 fourth-round pick ranked 21st in the position with a 95.1 deep passing grade and caught just two passes on three targets of 20+ air yards for 56.0 yards.

For comparison, Johnson, who finished second on the team with 45 catches for 528 yards, ranked 18th in the same category and had three of his eight targets register as contested catches.

If New York wanted to find a deep threat to join Nabers next season, the tight end pool doesn't seem like their best bet at achieving that goal.

There will be plenty of other options involved in the free agent frenzy in March that pose good fits for what the Giants' offense wants to be in 2026.

They will also have Darius Slayton back in-house after he signed a new three-year deal last offseason, and while his latest campaign was disappointing, he still finished third on the team with seven big targets and has averaged 15.0 yards per catch in his career.

Still, one has to wonder if Likely will remain within the Giants' sights, given his ties to Harbaugh with the Ravens, and the fact that Daniel Bellinger will be a free agent as well.

Bellinger fell behind in the depth chart early in the season, but came back alive down the stretch with seven catches for 84 yards in the final month of the slate.

Dart seemed to enjoy building a connection with his two tight ends in the passing game and recreating that dynamic with Johnson, and an addition in Likely might still entice Harbaugh to push for the free agent.

A duo of solid route-runners at the position would diversify the offense and how teams prepare for it, creating more opportunities for the receivers to author those deep shots.

What is certain is the Giants will be scoping out the entire pool of players set to escape from the Ravens' grasp in a short time as they have several other needs to fill and a bunch of candidates whom their new leader has great familiarity with how they could be plugged into the system on either side of the ball.

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