Anthony Rivardo
The NY Giants made one of their more interesting offseason bets when they signed Isaiah Likely, and John Harbaugh is not hiding how strongly he feels about the group now.
When discussing Likely, Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, and Thomas Fidone II at the Giants’ Town Hall on Monday night, Harbaugh said, “there’s not a better tight end room in the league,” according to Art Stapleton of North Jersey.
That is a strong statement for a room still built more on projection than proven dominance. It is also not difficult to see why Harbaugh believes the ceiling is there.
Likely gives the Giants a different kind of weapon
Likely arrived in New York with the type of skill set that should translate quickly in an offense built around Jaxson Dart’s development. The Giants officially signed him after four seasons in Baltimore, where he played under Harbaugh and flashed whenever his role expanded.
His career numbers do not scream superstar yet, but they show why the Giants were willing to bet on more. Likely has 135 receptions for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns across 63 regular-season games. His best season came in 2024, when he caught 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns despite sharing the room with Mark Andrews.
PFF also viewed that 2024 season as more than a random spike. Likely earned a 72.3 overall grade and a 73.2 receiving grade, ranking 12th and 13th among qualified tight ends in those categories. That is the version the Giants are hoping they bought.
The 2025 dip needs context. Likely finished with 27 catches for 307 yards and one touchdown, but he missed time and did not qualify for PFF’s positional rankings. The Giants are not signing him to repeat that limited production. They are signing him because the 2024 version looked like a starting-caliber receiving tight end who had not yet been given a full offensive runway.
Johnson already took a real step forward
The other part of this equation is Johnson, who quietly became one of the Giants’ most useful red-zone pieces last season.
Johnson finished 2025 with 45 receptions for 528 yards and five touchdowns. That touchdown total led the team, and the Giants’ official coaching staff announcement also noted that his 74 catches through two seasons are the sixth-most by a Giants tight end in his first two NFL seasons.
That matters because Johnson is not just a placeholder now that Likely is in the building. He is 6-foot-6, 264 pounds, and coming off a season in which PFF credited him with 528 receiving yards, five touchdowns, and 11.7 yards per reception. The efficiency was uneven, and his 58.0 overall PFF grade shows there is still plenty to clean up, but the production was real.
The Giants suddenly have two young tight ends with different ways to stress a defense. Likely can work as the move piece, slot target, and yards-after-catch option. Johnson gives Dart a bigger body over the middle and near the goal line. If both take a step forward at the same time, the offense has a personnel answer it did not have a year ago.
The scheme should give both players room
The bigger reason this pairing is so interesting is the coaching staff around it.
Harbaugh brought Likely with him from Baltimore, Matt Nagy is running the offense, Greg Roman is in the building as senior offensive assistant, and Tim Kelly is coaching the tight ends. That is a lot of experience shaping an offense that should have room for heavier formations, especially with Patrick Ricard also on the roster.
Giants.com already framed one of the key OTA questions as how often the offense will use two tight ends or formations with a fullback compared to three-wide sets. That is where the Likely-Johnson combination could become more than a depth-chart luxury.
If the Giants lean into 12 personnel, defenses will have to decide whether to match with heavier bodies or stay lighter to protect against Likely’s receiving ability. Either choice can create an advantage. Johnson’s size can punish smaller defensive backs, while Likely’s athleticism can stress linebackers and safeties who are late to match him in space.
That is the path to this room becoming elite. It is not just about having two useful tight ends. It is about having two tight ends who can be on the field together without telling the defense exactly what is coming.
Harbaugh’s praise may sound aggressive in May, but the Giants have given themselves a real chance to build an identity around this room. If Likely becomes the featured weapon he believes he can be and Johnson turns last year’s touchdown production into a more complete third-year breakout, Dart may spend 2026 throwing to one of the most difficult tight end duos in football.
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