Player
Daniel Bellinger
TE
Air yards per reception measures how far downfield a receiver is targeted before the catch; a jump from ~5 yards to 12.8 yards signals a scheme shift from check-down work to seam routes and crossing patterns deeper in the defense, which inflates Y/R but also increases boom-bust variance.
Bellinger's 2025 air depth per catch doubled his career average — he's being used as a downfield TE for the first time.
Bellinger air yards per reception by season
| Year | Rec | Air Yds/Rec | Y/R |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 30 | 4.7 | 8.9 |
| 2023 | 25 | 5.2 | 10.2 |
| 2024 | 14 | 4.9 | 8.9 |
| 2025 | 19 | 12.8 | 15.1 |
Why it matters. Air yards per reception measures how far downfield a receiver is targeted before the catch; a jump from ~5 yards to 12.8 yards signals a scheme shift from check-down work to seam routes and crossing patterns deeper in the defense, which inflates Y/R but also increases boom-bust variance.
Among 4th-round TEs since 2010, Bellinger ranks 4th in longevity for his drafting team — ahead of Dalton Schultz and Isaiah Likely.
Rare4th-round TEs by game-weeks for drafting team (2010+)
| Player | Draft | Game-Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Higbee | 2016 R4 LAR | 128 |
| Durham Smythe | 2018 R4 MIA | 89 |
| Ian Thomas | 2018 R4 CAR | 71 |
| Daniel Bellinger | 2022 R4 NYG | 50 |
| Dalton Schultz | 2018 R4 DAL | 62 |
| Isaiah Likely | 2022 R4 BAL | 55 |
Why it matters. 4th-round TEs routinely wash out within two seasons; surviving 50 regular-season game-weeks as the franchise TE for the team that drafted you is a retention rate most pass-catching TEs from that round never reach, reflecting both durability and scheme fit.
His 2025 catch rate dropped to 73% — 16 points below his rookie efficiency — even as his yardage output spiked.
TrendBellinger catch rate and Y/R by season
| Year | Targets | Rec | Catch% | Y/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 35 | 30 | 85.7% | 8.9 |
| 2023 | 28 | 25 | 89.3% | 10.2 |
| 2024 | 17 | 14 | 82.4% | 8.9 |
| 2025 | 26 | 19 | 73.1% | 15.1 |
Why it matters. A simultaneous drop in catch rate and spike in Y/R is the signature of a receiver shifting from high-percentage short targets to lower-percentage deep routes; Bellinger is producing more yards per touch but converting fewer opportunities, a tradeoff that makes him boom-bust in fantasy and high-variance in game plans.
Only 3 NYG-drafted TEs since 2010 have played 20+ games for the Giants: Engram, Bellinger, and now Theo Johnson.
SplitNYG-drafted TEs with 20+ NYG game-weeks since 2010
| Player | Draft Year | Round | NYG Game-Weeks | NYG Rec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan Engram | 2017 | R1 | 65 | 262 |
| Daniel Bellinger | 2022 | R4 | 50 | 88 |
| Theo Johnson | 2024 | R4 | 26 | 74 |
Why it matters. The Giants have historically had one of the league's thinnest TE development pipelines — most draft picks at the position churn out within a season or two. The franchise is currently developing its most TE-deep post-2010 roster, with all three picks from 2017, 2022, and 2024 sticking.
Bellinger has 88 career catches on just 106 targets — a 83% catch rate that ranks among the most efficient TEs of his era.
Bellinger career receiving
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 2022–2025 |
| Targets | 106 |
| Receptions | 88 |
| Catch Rate | 83.0% |
| Receiving Yards | 934 |
| Receiving TDs | 4 |
| Y/R | 10.6 |
Why it matters. Catch rate for TEs is driven by route type and QB-TE chemistry; an 83% career mark reflects a player used almost exclusively in high-percentage short areas, where the QB trusts him to hold on and create yards after contact rather than win contested downfield balls.
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