Kaden

Smith

Smith spent 2022 out of the league after getting waived last offseason. The ex-Giants tight end gives Washington veteran depth with 22 starts in three seasons. Smith’s career peaked in 2018, when he started over TE Evan Engram under Giants HC Pat Shurmur. Adding Smith is a bad sign for TE Logan Thomas (calf), who missed Washington’s preseason opener.

Smith was cut from the Giants last March with a failed physical designation and never latched on with a team. After going for 31-268-3 in nine games as a rookie in 2019, Smith’s production only declined in each of the following seasons. A former sixth-round draft pick, Smith joins a deep tight end room in Indianapolis, and will likely have to battle for a spot on the 53-man roster in training camp.

Smith got the failed physical designation. He cooked a bit down the stretch in 2019, but has been a non-factor over the last two seasons and was placed on IR with a knee injury in early December. He’s still only 24 and could resurface.

It’s nothing new for Engram as he remains a “long shot” to play in Week 1 against the Broncos, but Kaden Smith’s additional absence qualified Kyle Rudolph (foot), who just recently passed his physical to join the team in practice, as New York’s only available tight end Monday. Rudolph would be considered a desperate flier guaranteed to play snaps for any manager who waited to draft TE until the later rounds if both Engram and Smith were ruled out.

Engram’s status for Sunday night is now very much in doubt. Giants TE Kaden Smith, who played in Engram’s place late last year, is also questionable with a knee injury. Smith could shape up as a desperation streamer this week against Cleveland if Engram is sidelined with the calf issue. Both Engram and Smith missing Week 15 would make Levine Toilolo the only healthy tight end on New York’s roster.

Claimed off waivers from the 49ers in September, Smith became an integral part of the offense the final month and a half with the injuries to Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison. From Week 12 on, Smith posted a 30-267-3 line on 41 targets, averaging 6.8 looks per game in that span. Smith was a sixth-round pick of the Niners back in April and stands 6'5/255. He ran insanely slow with a 4.92 forty in the pre-draft process, but perhaps the Giants found a long-term No. 2 to Engram.

With Scott Simonson (concussion) also ruled out for Sunday’s finale, the Giants are expected to promote Garrett Dickerson from their practice squad. Kaden Smith will draw another start at tight end—his sixth straight—as the Giants close out their 2019 campaign in East Rutherford.

Smith caught the game-winning TD in overtime on a goal-throw from Daniel Jones. He also was on the receiving end of another red-zone TD from Jones earlier in the game. Smith had been a non-factor with Eli Manning the last two weeks, so this was good to see. Depending on Rhett Ellison’s (concussion) status, Smith will be on the TE2 radar for Week 17 against the Eagles.

Ellison went from full practice to limited participation to being out, all in a span of two days. Clearly his concussion symptoms have resurfaced. With only two games remaining, it’s safe to assume we won’t be seeing Ellison again in 2019. With Evan Engram (foot) on injured reserve, the Giants will turn to Kaden Smith at tight end Sunday in Washington. He’ll carry low-end streaming appeal in a favorable matchup.

Smith keeps drawing starts with Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison sidelined but production has been very mediocre. The rookie is averaging four grabs in his four starts and isn’t going very far with them. That’s because he’s a 4.92 runner. If Engram and Ellison miss another game, Smith will be a touchdown-dependent TE2/3.