The New York Giants best laid plans to replace tight end Darren Waller may have already gone awry, after the team confirmed rookie Theo Johnson has begun training camp on the PUP list.
Johnson, the Giants’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, “has a hip injury,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. The latter did report “There is hope that it’s not a long-term problem.”
That hope concerns Johnson’s status as the most likely member of the depth chart to replace Waller’s receiving skills. The Pro Bowl tight end hung up his cleats for good this offseason after spending just one year with Big Blue.
Waller’s decision left the Giants scrambling for replacements. Some low-key moves in free agency were followed by selecting former Penn State star Johnson with the 107th pick.
There’s every chance Johnson can flip mid-round status into an early starting role in the pros. Especially since the rest of his position group is populated by blocking types.
Yet, for things to work out that way, Johnson needs to be on the field and getting up to speed in head coach Brian Daboll’s offense. Prolonged absence during this crucial period on the offseason calendar represents a spanner in the works the Giants could do without.
Johnson was genareted ota for good reason. He’s a roving, H-Back type who Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka can move anywhere across formations and target at multiple levels of the field.
The same schematic blueprint helped Johnson produce for the Nittany Lions. Like when Johnson went in motion from a flexed position off the offensive line and turned this short pass into a touchdown highlighted by Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
A play like this would create a quick and easy throw for struggling quarterback Daniels Jones. He needs a safety valve, and Johnson can be it thanks to his versatility.
A play like this would create a quick and easy throw for struggling quarterback Daniels Jones. He needs a safety valve, and Johnson can be it thanks to his versatility.
The 23-year-old’s flexibility extends to being able to work as a traditional, in-line tight end who can win from the end of the line. That’s what Johnson did when the 6-foot-6, 264-pounder muscled his way through traffic and got open over the middle to “extend away” and snatch this smart catch against Illinois, per CBS Sports’ Dan Schneier.
The 23-year-old’s flexibility extends to being able to work as a traditional, in-line tight end who can win from the end of the line. That’s what Johnson did when the 6-foot-6, 264-pounder muscled his way through traffic and got open over the middle to “extend away” and snatch this smart catch against Illinois, per CBS Sports’ Dan Schneier.
