What should Giants expect from TE Jerell Adams as a rookie?

We have just started to roll through our profiles of the 90-man roster the New York Giants will bring to training camp later this summer. Today, we come to the first member of the team's 2016 draft class -- tight end Jerell Adams.

2015 Season in Review

Adams caught 28 passes for 421 yards (15.0 yards per catch) and three touchdowns for South Carolina in 2015. All were career highs as he finished his time with the Gamecocks with 66 catches and seven touchdowns in 47 games. The 2015 season was Adams' first as a full-time starter.

The Giants selected him in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, 184th overall. NFL.com said:

The Giants likely saw a lot of Larry Donnell in Adams as a pass-catcher. He's a power forward who can "out-rebound" opponents in traffic and can get you a little extra after the catch. Solid value pick.

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2016 Outlook

Most assessments you come across agree with the "solid value pick" assertion. Let's not assume, however, that means he will come in and be Rob Gronkowski or Jason Witten. Or even Donnell right away.

He has potential as a receiver, but he has never been a "go-to" guy and suffered last season with poor quarterback play. Giants Vice President of Player Evaluation Marc Ross said it is "rare to see a guy that gives block effort like this guy." That, however, doesn't guarantee he will be good at at from Day 1.

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NFL.com says "Adams should come in as a quality backup with an "eventual starter" tag tied to him." In his draft guide, Dane Brugler of CBS Sports says Adams "projects as a solid No. 2 option."

The Giants have Donnell, second-year man Will Tye, second-year man Matt LaCosse and undrafted Ryan Malleck out of Virginia Tech at the tight end spot.

Let's look at Adams as the Adrien Robinson do-over. It took the Giants three years to get anything out of Robinson, and they moved on from him after that third year. If you set the bar that low, Adams should be able to give the Giants more than Robinson as a rookie. Even if it's occasional use as a blocking tight end or catching a handful of passes before the season is over that's a step in the right direction.