Everyone waiting for the Giants to add a premier outside receiver in the mold of Stefon Diggs was looking to copy the wrong AFC powerhouse. 

The Giants built their offensive weaponry this offseason not like the Bills did when Brian Daboll was calling their plays but in the image of the Chiefs when Mike Kafka was coaching their quarterbacks: Start with a matchup nightmare at tight end — the trade for Darren Waller — and surround him with shifty tackle-breakers. 

“The premise of the offense is everything is run through Waller as the go-to guy, and all these pieces just have to star in their role,” ESPN’s “NFL Live” analyst Dan Orlovsky told The Post. “It’s obviously a very tall task, but when you watch Kansas City, Travis Kelce garners so much focus that you can create space for other people.” 

Daniel Jones is not Patrick Mahomes.

None of the Giants’ logjam of slot receivers is Tyreek Hill.

And Waller is not Kelce, but he was the next-best thing as recently as back-to-back 90-catch, 1,100-yard seasons in 2019-20. 

So, the Giants are a poor man’s version of the Chiefs personnel-wise, but the schematics could look similar.

And that’s where the Giants’ Daboll-Kafka pairing as head coach-offensive coordinator proved last season they can “rule” Xs and Os. 

“You can’t say Waller is going to play tight end,” Orlovsky said. “That’s where he will be on the roster, but they will use him like the Raiders did two years ago or like Kansas City uses Kelce. They will make sure they create the matchups for him. He is the do-it-all pass-catcher for the offense.” 

The Giants ranked a distant last in the NFL in 20-plus-yard completions (28) and Jones ranked last among 40 qualified quarterbacks in average intended air yards (6.3) on his throws last season, according to NextGenStats.

Jones’ risk-averse quick releases were schemed to hide an interior offensive line weakness, cut down on the quarterback’s turnover problems and receiver deficiencies. 

One version of this year’s arsenal includes last year’s top two targets at season’s end (Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins), two returning from ACL tears (Sterling Shepherd and Wan’Dale Robinson) and two newcomers (Parris Campbell and rookie Jalin Hyatt).

Others are in the mix. 

The Giants value inside/outside versatility like the Chiefs had with Hill, Mecole Hardman and Byron Pringle around the dominant tight end. 

“Waller becomes your ‘Where’s Waldo?’” Orlovsky said. “It’s always this: ‘Can you put the tight end by himself?’ If you can and he can win his matchup consistently, that changes everything. Waller absolutely can do that. That’s the starting point because then you gather information depending on who is covering him.” 

Waller (21.75 miles per hour on his top play in 2020 before his two injury-plagued seasons), Campbell (fastest ball-carrier in the league on his top play last season at 22.11 miles per hour) and Hyatt (sixth-fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.40 seconds at the combine) all upgraded the Giants’ speed. 

“Jalin is equipped to be more than just ‘Go Deep Guy,’” Orlovsky said. “He is different than any of the receivers they have because of his vertical speed, more efficient route running than people expect, and he can go across the middle comfortably like Shep does but with more speed. While he’s not the true No. 1 ‘X’ receiver right now, we don’t know that he’s incapable of playing that role at the NFL level. I think he is the end-breaking guy.” 

Whereas Orlovsky compares Hyatt to retired two-time Pro Bowler Emmanuel Sanders, Robinson could fill a role for Jones like Randall Cobb did in his prime for Aaron Rodgers. 

“You don’t necessarily want to create a matchup for Wan’Dale. You want to create space for him,” Orlovsky said. “You do that by marrying him on the same side as Waller or Hyatt. You want to make sure you have given him the creative area to allow his talents to win.” 

Picture a Week 1 matchup when the Cowboys have to move a top cover cornerback onto Waller with safety help over the top. 

“You can put Jalin or Wan’Dale in the slot opposite him,” Orlovsky said. “Who covers that area? Linebackers, nickels and lesser-cover people. That’s why his role matters so much. 

“I’m getting my No. 1 receiver running routes against those guys. If defenses play zone, a potential linebacker or a nickel still has to tackle those guys in space. That’s where it all becomes the chess-game advantage — and that’s a strength of theirs.”