Dan Salomone: The Giants needed a lot of things based on recent seasons, but the ability to make a contested catch was high on the list. Judging from the first handful of OTAs, they may have found that with both tight end Isaiah Likely and wide receiver Malachi Fields.
The veteran free agent signee and third-round pick have produced the top offensive plays of the spring so far with a pair of one-handed grabs, whetting the appetite for what is to come this fall. Both standing at 6-4 and 220+ pounds, they offer a big catch radius to a young quarterback in Jaxson Dart.
“He’s just a ball player,” Dart said of Likely. “He’s kind of unorthodox in some ways that he moves, but he’s extremely savvy and smart. And so, it’s awkward for guys to cover him because he’s able to just, as a big guy, his stature, just able to bend and move in some ways, makes it really hard for defenders. He has a great mind of the game. Against zone coverages, he’s able to find zones. And you saw him in Baltimore, too, on scramble drills, just his instincts taking over and making really good plays with [Ravens quarterback] Lamar [Jackson]. It’s been great, and super happy to have another playmaker like him out there.”
Fields, meanwhile, has shown his ability to play above the rim, which was part of the reason the Giants traded up to get him. He is also eager to show his blocking skills once the pads come on this summer.
“He was a blocker, I mean, look at him,” coach John Harabugh said at rookie minicamp. “He better be. He’s got no excuse not to be. He was at Notre Dame, and that’s how Coach does it there. Marcus [Freeman] has got those guys playing physical. How about on the slants? You saw him cross the corner’s face on three or four slants. Real strong. So it’s a good start for him.”
