The New York Giants made a major investment in the tight end room by signing Isaiah Likely to a $40M deal in March, and the Giants' TE coach Tim Kelly has offered high praise for the former Baltimore Ravens standout.

During his recent appearance on the Giants Huddle podcast, which aired on June 18, Kelly delivered a strong assessment of Likely’s work ethic, his physical tools, and how he can be a key piece of the offense moving forward.

"[Likely] gets mad at me when I take him out," Kelly said. "He wants to get every rep possible ... but really his ability to create separation and pluck the football is rare... He's able to elevate and play above the rim, and he's really natural at catching the football and getting open."

Kelly noted that Likely can be a dominant pass-game rusher and effective in the run game, citing the Pittsburgh Steelers game from last season as an example.

Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in early December, Likely scored his sole receiving touchdown of the season for 95 yards in four receptions.

Likely recorded 27 receptions for 307 yards and one touchdown across 14 games in 2025 while playing behind Mark Andrews.

Tim Kelly said on the Giants Huddle podcast that Likely can be ‘as good as he wants to be', viewing him as a significant player in the offense who can contribute with his versatility and unique physical tools.

Likely hauled in 135 receptions for 1,568 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 11.6 yards per reception across 63 games and 26 starts, played with the Ravens for four seasons.

"His [Likely] importance to New York's success in 2026 cannot be overstated, as Kelly illustrated, especially considering star wide receiver Malik Nabers' uncertain recovery timeline," per Lior Lampert of GMen HQ.com. "The Giants will have to lean on Likely and evidently expect him to be up to the challenge."

With the familiarity of playing under head coach John Harbaugh during his stint with the Ravens (2022-2025), Likely is expected to be the starter at the tight end position, though Theo Johnson has been the primary name on the depth chart.

Jaxson Dart praises Isaiah Likely after first OTA sessions

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has shared his first impression of Likely during the OTAs, as someone who can find zones and be a solid playmaker, based on his plays with Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.

"He's just a ball player," Dart said, per Dan Salomone of the Giants.com. "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."

Dart praised Likely's 'great mind of the game', noting the tight end consistently finds openings against zone defenses and has the instincts to create opportunities when plays break down.

Now entering his second year after an impressive rookie season, Dart speaking highly of his new tight end is surely good news for Giants fans.

With the training camp approaching, Likely has already made a strong impression on his coaching staff and QB, giving the Giants another offensive weapon in the team's passing attack.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote