Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

NFL Draft 2024: What Theo Johnson Adds to New York Giants Offense

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated 4/27/24

The New York Giants bolstered the depth at tight end, essentially replacing the recently retired Darren Waller, by taking former Penn State standout Theo Johnson with the No. 107 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday afternoon.

Last season, Johnson caught a career-high 34 passes, while splitting time with Tyler Warren in a Nittany Lions’ offense that sputtered significantly at times, with Johnson accounting for 341 yards and catching a career-high seven touchdowns.

As a rookie, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the the Giants deploy Johnson both as an in-line pass-catching tight end and also line him up at times in the backfield as an H-back type role.

Landing in New York, who also selected field-stretching wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first round of the draft, should create plenty of opportunities for Johnson to be productive underneath and perhaps develop into a security-blanked and red-zone weapon for quarterback Daniel Jones.

Theo Johnson NFL Draft Scouting Report

Johnson is a versatile tight end capable of making a real impact in the passing game, but isn’t afraid to get involved as a run-blocker, either.

“He’ll make contested catches and is adequate against man coverage,” Lance Zierlein of NFL Media writes of Johnson. “But, he lacks dynamic qualities as a pass catcher. Traits will work in his favor, but there is work to be done to become anything more than an average backup.”

As Pro Football Focus points out, Johnson posted an elite 75 percent contested catch rate, while only dropping two passes during the 2023 campaign.

Across three seasons in Happy Valley, Johnson caught 72 passes for 881 yards and 12 touchdowns, before putting forth a dominant NFL Combine by running the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.58 seconds and posting an elite 39.5 vertical leap.

“Johnson’s best trait is that he understands how to use his strength and frame to separate,” the Bleacher Report Scouting Department writes. “His violent hands and powerful strides give him the upper hand physically in most matchups. Additionally, Johnson shows the quickness to cut across a defender’s face, as well as the long speed to outrun defenders on routes across the field or down the seam.”