There might come a time when left tackle Andrew Thomas is part of a combination block that forces him to think of the versatile Darren Waller as a tight end.
That time was not Thursday, when Waller got behind the defensive coverage to catch a couple of vertical passes from Daniel Jones during Giants practice.
"So far," Thomas said, "he's almost like a receiver for us."
The Chiefs' Travis Kelce and Ravens' Mark Andrews were the only tight ends to lead their team in receiving yards last season.
If Waller stays healthy - no small caveat after he missed 14 games over the last two seasons - he could join the short list as the force-fed No. 1 target that the Giants have lacked since trading Odell Beckham Jr.
"It feels like you hear about most guys or you see them in the program and they're listed at 6-foot-6 but they're really like 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-5," Jones said. "He's a true 6-foot-6. He's a true 250, 260 [pounds] and can fly - can run all the routes."
Thursday was the third of 10 OTAs, which are unpadded, helmeted practices with no live contact.
The seven-on-seven drills are a perfect chance to put Waller in motion and send him down the sideline to out-jump handcuffed defensive backs.
But he vowed that he will be ready when the Giants need him to be more than a pass-catcher.
"Whatever's required of me, I'm willing to do," Waller said, "whether it's more blocking on a certain day, more dirty work on a certain day, catching more passes on a certain day. I don't try to put myself in a box."
The Giants ranked a distant last in the NFL with 28 catches of 20-plus yards last season. Adding speed like Waller's was identified as the way to increase chunk plays.
"Not a lot of people get to say they play football in a market like this or a city with people as passionate as this fan base is," Waller said. "It's all about your perspective, whether you look at it as scary or you look at it as a great opportunity. I view it as a great opportunity."
Head coach Brian Daboll is a former tight ends coach for Rob Gronkowski, and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka came from the Kelce-led Chiefs.
Their old playbooks are rich with ways to maximize a dynamic tight end that are about to be incorporated into the Giants' offense.
"What I love most about it is the challenge," Waller said. "It requires you to know everything that's going on on the field, not just have yourself fixed in one spot. You need to know the whole picture of the offense: Why the quarterback is looking in a certain direction, why you need to be in a certain window at a certain time. It forces you to move fast, think fast, and I love challenges."
Waller missed most of training camp for the Raiders last season with an injury that seemed to heal when he signed a three-year, $51 million extension.
It was the start of a rocky relationship that led to his March availability in a trade for a third-round pick.
"They value our opinions here," Waller said. "As a player, I feel like a lot of places I've gone, you're told to do things a certain way, and you do those things. But here, they ask a lot of questions. They want to know what you're thinking, what do you like to do more? So, to offer input is a really cool thing because coach and players have got to be in partnership. We shouldn't be clashing with each other. We're all going the same direction."
Waller totaled 197 catches for 2,341 yards and two touchdowns over two seasons (2019-20) at his peak.
Few defenses have a corresponding chess piece with the size and speed to cover him man-to-man.
If Waller forces zone coverage, the Giants have shifty receivers who can thrive around him.
"You can feel his presence," safety Xavier McKinney said. "You've got to be aware of where he's at. He's able to make plays inside, outside, against the corner, against the safety, it doesn't matter."
And that's why Waller actually matters a lot for an offense trying to become more explosive.