Giants sign Kelvin Benjamin following minicamp tryout (Report)

The Giants have added to Daniel Jones’ slate of weapons, signing wide receiver-turned-tight end Kelvin Benjamin.

Kelvin Benjamin is returning to the NFL and reuniting with the general manager that drafted him.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Giants have signed the veteran to a contract after he tried out at the team’s rookie minicamp on both Friday and Saturday. Dave Gettleman originally selected Benjamin in the first round of the 2014 draft when he was the general manager of the Carolina Panthers.

The #Giants are signing former first-round WR, now TE, Kelvin Benjamin, source said. A potential comeback story.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 16, 2021

Benjamin hasn’t played a regular-season game since the 2018 season when he underwent a brief stint with the Kansas City Chiefs. Prior to that, he was with the Bills from 2017-18 and Carolina from 2014-17 to commence his professional career.

The Giants are expected to utilize Benjamin as more of a tight end, which makes sense given his significant frame (6-foot-5, 245 pounds).

Kelvin’s most productive season came back during his 2014 rookie campaign when he caught 73 balls for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns.

How will Kelvin Benjamin fit into the Giants roster?

As was previously mentioned, Benjamin is expected to take on a tight end role instead of a receiver role. Therefore, he’ll work alongside primary starting tight end Evan Engram and veteran free-agent acquisition Kyle Rudolph.

Due to the investments the Giants have made in both Engram and Rudolph, Benjamin will need to greatly impress during the training camp and preseason periods in order to make the final roster ahead of the regular season. There isn’t a clear role for him given the other options within the position group — Benjamin thus needs to prove he’s worth keeping on the roster.

But if he does make the team, expect him to be a decent option down near the goal line considering his notable size.

Daniel Jones will need all the help he can get in order to further develop in his third NFL season, and that assistance must include a reliable red-zone target. Benjamin possesses the chance to prove he can step up in that area of the game — this contract has provided him that.

An offensive skill player group that includes Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Kadarius Toney, John Ross, Engram, Rudolph, and a dependable Benjamin would work wonders for both Jones and New York’s offensive unit as a whole.