The New York Giants have a “freak” athlete joining their ranks this season after trading for star TE Darren Waller. Through the first three days of training camp, excitement for the new playmaker is generating as Waller has been unguardable during practice.
Parris Campbell describes Darren Waller as a “freak of an athlete”
Waller was the team’s premier acquisition on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. The 6-foot-6 tight end possesses rare abilities, running a 4.45s 40-yard dash and being one of the fastest tight ends in the NFL.
He is joined by fellow offseason acquisition WR Parris Campbell who the Giants signed to a one-year contract. Campbell ran a 4.31s 40-yard dash in 2019 and recorded the single fastest speed in the league as a ball carrier, clocking in at 22.11 mph, per Next Gen Stats. Campbell, a freak athlete in his own right, described Waller in such a way at training camp this week.
“It’s crazy because they tried to double team him in the offseason camp but he’s just a freak of an athlete,” Campbell said per the New York Post.
Waller takes no offense to the “freak” label. He accepts the term as a compliment, saying, “It’s an honor for my teammates to speak of me in that way because these are guys who do it at a high level and have done it for a really long time.”
Darren Waller has been unguardable at Giants training camp
Waller has quickly become QB Daniel Jones’ favorite target at training camp. Jones has been force-feeding the ball to Waller during team drills as the dynamic tight end is constantly getting himself wide open. The practice report on Giants.com said Waller “looked dominant” on the third day of practice (Friday).
“He pretty much can do everything,” Xavier McKinney said of Waller following the first day of practice. “I love having him on this team because I know how he’s going to help me improve as a player.”
The Giants were in need of an elite receiving threat in their offense, and they have clearly found it with Waller joining the lineup. His talents have been on full display at training camp as he and Jones create chemistry in preparation for the upcoming 2023 season.