Execs, coaches believe Giants' Darren Waller is among NFL's best tight ends

When New York Giants tight end Darren Waller is on the field, he’s still among the most elite in football. That’s the consensus among anonymous NFL executives, coaches and scouts.

Following a recent ESPN poll, the top-end NFL shot-callers ranked Waller the fifth-best tight end in the league, just behind Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles.

“It’s hard to knock him for a bad situation with the QB transition in Las Vegas and injuries,” an NFC exec said. “He’s still behind just Kelce as pass-catcher.”

An AFC executive added that Waller can be a high-level player for the Giants because “he can still run.” However, he cautioned that Waller’s best seasons came when the talent around him was lacking.

The views of Waller are an interesting mix. Many are buying into the hype while others, like Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report, are not. He believes Waller will be a bust in 2023.

The signs of decline have been there for two years. If the Giants think they are getting the player that posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 and 2020 they are going to be disappointed.

If Waller’s offseason is any indication, the anonymous executives will be proven correct and Ballentine proven incorrect.