It is no secret that the New York Giants have been scouting quarterbacks extensively over the past few months leading up to the 2024 NFL draft. They’ve hosted a number of them on top-30 visits, but they recently brought in Kansas State tight end Ben Sinnott for a visit (via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com), a player who could add tremendous value to their passing game.
With veteran tight end Darren Waller deciding on his future in the NFL, whether to retire or not, the Giants have to be considering alternative options at the position.
Sinnott makes plenty of sense as a potential mid-round selection, especially after posting one of the highest relative athletic scores in the draft class. He earned a 9.73 grade, presenting phenomenal traits that the Giants can utilize. He ranked second in the regular season in receiving yards at his position, including fourth in yards per run, third in tackles, and third in first downs created.
Sinnott does have upside as a blocker but sometimes can lack effort in that regard. However, that is a very coachable negative, and the Giants may be looking to develop that portion of his game.
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Sinnott has the speed and agility to run routes at every level, posting unusual quickness for a player at 6’4″ and 245 pounds. He only dropped two passes over 73 targets last season, so the Giants could certainly use his upside. Running a 4.68 40-yard dash at his size is impressive — he has faced adversity and displayed grit as a former walk-on receiving a scholarship from South Dakota.
Of course, Brock Bowers, out of Georgia, remains the consensus number-one tight end in the draft class. Still, Sinnott is certainly gaining steam, and the Giants may have to spend a third-rounder to acquire him, which would boost the versatility at the position, especially with the expectation that Waller departs.
Currently, the Giants are set to pay Waller $14 million in cap space and $10.5 million in base salary for the 2024 season. If they cut him, they would save $6.7 million, but if they waited until post-June 1, they could save upward of $11.5 million, which would be almost double. However, retiring would open up even more financial flexibility, so the Giants are simply waiting for him to make a decision and doing their due diligence on prospects in the meantime.
That being said, the Giants have utilized their top 30 visits very efficiently, and the mid-round prospects they’ve brought in have often been players they’ve targeted in the draft — naturally.