It has largely been a quiet season for New York Giants rookie tight end Theo Johnson, but he flashed some of his upside in Week 9 against the Washington Commanders.
Giants’ Theo Johnson is starting to grow as a player
Johnson recorded three receptions on six targets for 51 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown pass he caught for his first career NFL touchdown. Two of his three receptions went for at least 15 yards and he became a focal point of an offense that has been struggling to put points on the board.
With the Giants at 2-7 on the year, it is likely that they will begin to incorporate Johnson into the game plan more to develop him into the player they want him to be. New York drafted Johnson out of Penn State with their fourth-round pick in this past year’s draft.
Johnson is making improvements after a rough start to the season
Johnson’s rookie campaign did not get off to the start he would’ve hoped for. In his first four games combined, he caught just three passes on eight targets and totaled only 37 receiving yards. However, the rookie has made some improvements since Week 5, catching 14 of his last 18 targets for 164 yards over the air.
The drops are what is truly holding back Johnson at the moment and that has also been an area that has plagued the Giants all season. He grades poorly in receiving by PFF, with his 46.3 receiving grade being the worst out of all tight ends.
However, he has shown to be impactful as a pass blocker, boasting a 75.1 PFF grade in 52 pass-blocking snaps. The Giants might need him more in that area following the season-ending injury to Andrew Thomas and Chris Hubbard’s struggles.
Following Darren Waller’s retirement in the offseason, the Giants were left with a big hole at the tight end position. The hope is that Johnson can develop into a serviceable tight end to give the offense another weapon. The team lacks true receiving talent aside from Malik Nabers.
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Johnson could thrive with a different quarterback in the future
The Giants have a clear quarterback problem with Daniel Jones, though it may not be long before they decide to move on from him after six turbulent seasons. A new quarterback at the helm may benefit Johnson, as a more talented arm under center could help maximize the rookie tight end’s skillset and accelerate his development.
With seven games left in the season and the Giants officially looking ahead towards the draft, Johnson may see an increased workload with the hope that he can capitalize on the positive results he has brought recently. The Giants will head to Germany for their next game against the struggling Carolina Panthers in Week 10 before they finally have their bye week.
