Jeremy Shockey a fan of Giants' new playmaking tight end, Darren Waller

Once upon a time, Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi had a vision.

The year was 2002. And with the 14th pick in the NFL Draft, Accorsi selected tight end Jeremy Shockey out of the University of Miami.

That decision seemed curious to some, perhaps to many.

Accorsi’s reply?

“I didn’t pick him because we needed a tight end. I picked him because he’s a playmaker.”

The 6-5 Shockey went on to become All-Pro.

Fast-forward more than two decades.

Accorsi indeed was ahead of his time. Tight ends have evolved into playmakers who are matchup nightmares.

Which is why the 2023 Giants made the trade for Darren Waller during the offseason.

In his first spring with the Giants, Waller made a favorable impression. He seems equally comfortable talking about life and football and seems to know when the two intersect — and when they don’t.

On the practice field in the spring, Waller stood out. He’s a tight end who worked in wide receiver drills. He’s a 6-6 target who weighs 245 pounds. He is a playmaker.

He unquestionably ranks as the Giants’ best tight end since Shockey, who retired after the 2011 season as a two-time Super Bowl champion (with the Giants and Saints).

And as it turns out, Shockey is a fan of Waller’s game.

“He’s an amazing, amazing tight end,” Shockey told Newsday earlier this month. “When I came into the NFL, there was a little more emphasis on blocking than receiving. Now, it seems, the last couple of years, not to say they can’t block, but since I’ve been out of the league, it seems guys are smaller and thinner, like [Kansas City’s Travis] Kelce. So the tight end position has changed.”

As happy as the Giants were to acquire Waller in that deal with the Raiders on March 14, they have to be even happier now. Waller’s importance to the Giants has only grown in the past week as the Saquon Barkley situation remains murky. (Will he report to training camp? Will he play this season? And if so, when?).

The Giants’ signing of wide receiver Cole Beasley on Friday gives Daniel Jones another veteran, quarterback-friendly target.

While Barkley would be difficult to replace for any stretch of the regular season, Waller should figure in as a big part of the solution. In his last two fully healthy seasons, 2019 and 2020, his 2,341 receiving yards ranked behind only Kelce (2,645 yards) at his position.

Waller takes pride in his blocking, something that Shockey respects about him.

“He’s a big guy. He has the size and the strength,” Shockey said. “What makes him very unique is that he can run. He can flat-out run. I’m a big fan. I’ve watched him the last couple years. He’s a unique talent. He’s going to love playing in New York and I’m sure [the fans] are going to love having him.”

Shockey, who played at 255 pounds, said he and Waller are “about the same size” but doesn’t see extensive similarities in their game.

“I’m not a Raiders fan,” Shockey said. “I know it’s going to be a lot different for him playing in the NFC East. I’ll leave it at that.”

Shockey laughed, as if those NFC East battles still sting.

“I also had to block a little bit more,” Shockey said. “I’m proud that I [blocked for] three 1,000-yard rushers at the Giants with Tiki [Barber], Brandon [Jacobs] and Derrick Ward.”

Shockey said he still roots for the Giants.

“I played 10 years and I always think of it this way: If I ran out of bounds now and then, I probably could have played 15 or 20,” he said. “But when you have passion and you work at your craft, you want to play all-out. I had great coaching with [tight ends coach] Mike Pope and others, including head coaches Jim Fassel and Tom Coughlin. There were some good people there, it wasn’t just me.”

Back then, Shockey’s mother, Lucinda, often made the trip from Ada, Oklahoma, to Giants games and practices.

“I was raised by a great mom, so it was easy for me to see what my work ethic [had to be],” Shockey said. “I was never considered the biggest guy, the fastest guy. So I always worked on that. I became big, I became fast. I was never a good blocker, so I became a good blocker.”

He credited Pope and Campbell for teaching him technique.

Then Shockey paused.

“I would say I became an OK blocker,” he said with a laugh.

This Shockey said he is sure about: He remains a Giant and a Giants fan, through and through.

“Absolutely, I’m still a fan of the Giants,” he said, “and I think the fans are really going to embrace this kid [Waller]. You’re on a pedestal when you play in New York, and I think this guy’s up for the challenge.”

By Kimberly Jones

kimberly.jones@newsday.comkimjonessports

Kimberly Jones covers the Giants for Newsday, a beat she first worked in the early 2000s before joining the YES Network to cover the Yankees. She worked for the NFL Network for more than a decade and has been heard semi-regularly on WFAN.