Who Should I Start? Jonnu Smith or Isaiah Likely

Sunday, April 5, 9:15 AM

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh said that he is "certain" tight end Isaiah Likely will take a major leap in 2026, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Harbaugh explained that he saw tremendous upside in Likely when the two were together in Baltimore, but the tight end never had much of an opportunity to break out because of the scheme and personnel. Indeed, Likely had his career-worst fantasy finish last year, checking in as the TE45 with 27 catches, 307 yards, and one touchdown. If Harbaugh is right, Likely could be due for his first-ever top-18 finish in 2026. However, we also need to be careful of just how much trust we invest in offseason coachspeak. Likely finds himself in a crowded Giants offense that also features Malik Nabers (knee), Theo Johnson, Darius Slayton, and Darnell Mooney. Likely is a high-risk, high-reward trade target this offseason. He could break out, as Harbaugh suggested, but he could also be headed for another year in a depth role.