​EAST RUTHERFORD – The scene was common on the practice fields with the New York Giants all summer. Starting in West Virginia and continuing in New Jersey, seemingly every day of training camp, Jaxson Dart and Isaiah Likely would be standing together talking football. They would chat up different route concepts, the rules to follow for offscript plays and, above all else, gain comfort in the trust between them.”We’re gonna see things from different lenses at some point, but we work to the point to see things from one brain while we’re out there,” Likely told NorthJersey.com and The Record. “Obviously, that’s a cliche from a receiver standpoint to a quarterback. I feel like we’ve had those moments in practice, you know, when Jaxson needs a completion, I’m always in the huddle telling him, ‘If you’re trying to get back on track, if we’re having a slow offensive drive, just find me and I’ll make a play. I’ll make it right.’”That promise played out exactly how the Giants envisioned when they brought Likely here, as the 26-year-old followed head coach John Harbaugh from the Baltimore Ravens to Big Blue. He caught all eight of his targets for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and in a variety of ways.How did Likely and Dart get on the same page?Preparation. Instinct. Feel for the defense and the game itself.Of course, there is plenty of talent for both the Giants’ quarterback and tight end, raw and polished by the day.And above all else, when a play needs to be made, it’s a matter of confidence and belief.Make no mistake: Likely has earned that from Dart, and vice versa, in such a short time.The Giants signed Likely to be an offensive weapon in their offense, paying him $40 million over the next three seasons for potential, not production – yet, because the expectations were high upon his arrival. His presence changes how the Giants can play schematically.Likely should see a lot of time in the slot with teammates Chris Manhertz and Theo Johnson in the in-line tight end roles. The 6-foot-4, 241-pound Likely had a down season in 2025, catching only 27 passes for 307 yards and a touchdown, but he fought through a nagging foot injury that dogged him throughout what was supposed to be a big year in his push for a new contract.Those aren’t numbers that would typically generate significant interest in free agency at the top of the market, but it’s clear Harbaugh wanted the player in this offense. Two years ago, Likely caught 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns.”He’s going to be big here,” Harbaugh said of Likely, and those words certainly rang true in the season opener.The off-script plays that Dart is so good at outside the pocket and on the move fit Likely’s game, too. He thrived with Lamar Jackson in that aspect of the passing attack. Harbaugh paid attention to the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the coaches he hired and fit them together to balance each other out.Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy’s strength is in innovative design of the offe