The first Nebraska tight end drafted since 2002, a former four-star recruit who battled through multiple college injuries to reach the NFL.
Thomas Fidone II is a Council Bluffs, Iowa native whose Nebraska career was defined as much by perseverance as production, missing nearly two full seasons to knee injuries before the Giants made him the first Cornhusker tight end drafted in over two decades. He arrived in New York in the seventh round of the 2025 draft as a developmental piece with elite testing numbers.
Path to the league
A four-star recruit and the No. 2 tight end in the 2021 class out of Lewis Central High School, Fidone chose Nebraska over Iowa, LSU and Michigan. He missed almost all of his first two seasons with knee injuries before returning to action in 2023 and 2024. The Giants selected him with the 219th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the first Nebraska tight end drafted since Tracey Wistrom in 2002.
Career highlights
Fidone's best college production came in 2023, when he caught 25 passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns, and he earned a spot on the John Mackey Award watch list in 2024. His athletic testing was among the best of any tight end in his draft class.
2025 season recap
As a rookie with the Giants, Fidone worked through the injury issues that limited him in college, and on November 22, 2025, he was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury that had bothered him throughout the season.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Thomas Fidone
- Giants.com: Thomas Fidone II
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Nebraska
- Hometown
- Council Bluffs, IA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
