Daniel Bellinger is a tight end from San Diego State University. Hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, Bellinger was a three-sport star at Palo Verde High School, excelling in football, track and basketball. Despite earning first-team All-Nevada honors his senior season as both a linebacker and tight end, he was only graded as a two-star prospect coming out of high school, per 247Sports. As a result, he had minimal collegiate interest and committed to the San Diego State Aztecs over his grandfather’s alma mater, The Naval Academy.
Bellinger’s college career was underwhelming. However, he showed flashes of his red zone capabilities in 2019, hauling in three touchdown catches in a secondary TE role. In 2020, he took over as the primary TE in the Aztecs’ offense. As a result, he saw an uptick in volume, snagging 21 catches for 205 yards in a shortened eight-game season, making him the second-leading receiver on the team in both catches and yards.
Daniel Bellinger is a tight end from San Diego State University. Hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, Bellinger was a three-sport star at Palo Verde High School, excelling in football, track and basketball. Despite earning first-team All-Nevada honors his senior season as both a linebacker and tight end, he was only graded as a two-star prospect coming out of high school, per 247Sports. As a result, he had minimal collegiate interest and committed to the San Diego State Aztecs over his grandfather’s alma mater, The Naval Academy.
Bellinger’s college career was underwhelming. However, he showed flashes of his red zone capabilities in 2019, hauling in three touchdown catches in a secondary TE role. In 2020, he took over as the primary TE in the Aztecs’ offense. As a result, he saw an uptick in volume, snagging 21 catches for 205 yards in a shortened eight-game season, making him the second-leading receiver on the team in both catches and yards.
However, a downturn in his red zone opportunities resulted in no touchdowns. As a result, 2021 saw another increase in Bellinger’s usage, with 31 catches for 357 yards and two touchdowns. His yardage was good enough for third-best on the Aztecs’ squad, and his two touchdowns had him tied for second.
As it goes with many college tight ends, Bellinger was a victim of a lack of volume. Over his final two seasons, San Diego State averaged 161.45 passing yards per game. It’s hard to excel as a pass-catcher in an offense that does not throw the ball with much frequency. It’s even harder when you’re coming out of a small conference like the Mountain West. His reputation as a quality run and pass blocking TE will get him on the field, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to targets at the NFL level.
Daniel Bellinger Profile
| School |
San Diego State University |
| Height |
6-foot-5 |
| Weight |
253 |
| Age |
21 |
| Class |
Senior |
| 40-Yard Dash |
4.63 |
| Prospect Grade |
6.16* |
* Prospect Grade per NFL.com
Fantasy Outlook
The New York Giants selected Bellinger with the 112th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. With the departure of Evan Engram in free agency, he will be competing with Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins for snaps in the New York offense. It is unlikely he will be above Seals-Jones on the depth chart to start the upcoming season but should be able to compete with Akins for the number two spot. Given his blocking acumen and the Giants’ desire to get RB Saquon Barkley involved in the offense, Bellinger could see some targets early on in play-action situations. If he can establish himself as a reliable target for Daniel Jones in those situations, we could see significant red zone work for the big, physical tight end.
The Giants are in a make-it-or-break-it year. They’ve had a winning record only once since 2012. QB Daniel Jones is in the final year of his rookie contract and looks to be on his way out if he cannot prove himself in 2021. Head coach Joe Judge could quickly be in the hot seat if this team stumbles out of the gate. Bellinger is the type of player who can provide a big red zone target, much the way they used Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph in the past. Like most tight ends, it is unlikely we see much in fantasy production in 2022. However, his upside in New York moving forward could land him as a solid TE2 option in the future.
Like Bellinger, Will Dissly was regarded as a talented blocking tight end with raw pass-catching skills coming out of the University of Washington in 2018. Both were selected in the 4th round of the NFL Draft, with Bellinger having a slightly higher prospect grade than Dissly. While Dissly has yet to insert himself into the Seattle passing attack, Bellinger should be able to get involved in New York.
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Nate Polvogt is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Nate, check out his archive and follow him @NatePolvogt.