Will Tye Poised For Breakout Year With New York Giants

Prior to last season nobody had heard of New York Giants tight end Will Tye. He played his college ball in relative obscurity at Stony Brook, but impressed the Giants’ coaching staff enough in training camp last summer that he earned a spot on the team. When Larry Donnell went down with a neck injury Tye shined in the Giants’ offense. Today, he signed his tender and it could be a breakout year for the tight end some call “Baby Gates.”

In recent years the Giants have gotten their best production from unheralded tight ends. Since Jeremy Shockey left, the Giants have gone through several tight ends like Kevin Boss, Jake Ballard, Martellus Bennett, Brandon Myers and Donnell. For a while it seemed like the Giants had a new tight end every year. It also seemed like the Giants were expected to use a first-round pick on a tight end in at least a few mock drafts every year. Tye, however, has put an end to that annual spring tradition and is the best Giants prospect at the position since Shockey.

Last season, Tye appeared in 13 games, seven of them starts, and caught 42 passes for 464 yards and three touchdowns, and was targeted 62 times. He had a unique blend of size and speed and averaged 11 yards-per-catch. After back-to-back weeks that saw him catch a 28-yard pass against the Washington Redskins and a season-high 45-yard reception against the New York Jets, it was clear that Tye wasn’t like the tight ends that came before him.

With Larry Donnell’s neck injury still a factor, as well as his history of fumbles, Tye is the undisputed starter heading into 2016. Donnell has gotten clearance from his doctors to return to football but the Giants’ doctors have not yet signed off on his return so his future is still up in the air. If Donnell returns it would be a bonus but he will not supplant Tye.

As the season wore on, Eli Manning and Tye started to develop a nice rapport. Of his 464 yards, 368 came in the Giants’ last seven games. He also had 33 of his 42 catches during that time. That equates to 75 catches and 841 yards over a 16-game season. Those would have placed him second on the team in both catches and yards.

Tye has drawn comparisons to Antonio Gates, though those might be a tad optimistic. However, there is no denying Tye is talented and could be the Giants’ best tight end since Mark Bavaro was lining up at the position. The future is certainly bright for Tye and the Giants.