There will be a very interesting camp battle between Daniel Bellinger and Johnson to be the Giants' TE1 after Darren Waller chose to retire. Bellinger should have the early edge because of his experience in the system, but Johnson's upside is intoxicating. His 9.93 Relative Athletic Score ranks him as one of the most athletic tight ends ever to test at the combine. While Bellinger may be more prepared to help the team compete, but he played more than 80% of the team's offensive snaps in six games in a row in 2023 and totaled 138 yards in those two games. The winner of the TE1 job should only be on the radar in deeper leagues in redraft, but Johnson is still worth a Round 3 pick in rookie-only drafts. I'd like him even more in leagues where I have a taxi squad to stash him for a year.
Giants' Theo Johnson: Continues getting first-team reps
Rotowire
Johnson is listed as a fourth-stringer on the Giants' initial preseason depth chart, but Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News notes that the depth chart at tight end doesn't reflect what reporters have seen during practices.
In other words, Johnson is still in the mix to start, despite being a rookie fourth-round pick who opened training camp on the PUP list with a hip injury. He took a lot of first-team reps his second day after being activated, and subsequent reports suggest that's continued into the second week of training camp, albeit with Daniel Bellinger also involved in the first-team offense. Lawrence Cager (hamstring) and Chris Manhertz also are listed ahead of Johnson on the depth chart, but they're specialized players that would be unlikely to play a lot of snaps even if they technically ended up starting. Johnson is the upside play of the bunch, having run a 4.57 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6, 259 pounds. His impressive showing at the NFL Combine led to a selection early in the fourth round, 107th overall, following a college career at Penn State with no more than 34 receptions or 341 yards in any one season (although he did score seven TDs his final year).
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Earning first-team reps
Rotowire
Johnson took a majority of first-team reps at Monday's practice, Gabriel Trevino of NJ.com reports.
It's a bit surprising given that Johnson is a rookie fourth-round pick and was just activated from the active/PUP list a day earlier after missing the first few days of training camp with a hip injury. On the other hand, there's not much reason to slow-play his development when the likely alternative at tight end is third-year pro Daniel Bellinger, who struggled with blocking the past two seasons while getting just 63 targets on 512 routes (12.3 percent). Johnson never reached even 350 receiving yards in a season at Penn State, but he has prototypical speed (4.57 combine 40) and size (6-foot-6, 259 pounds) for an NFL tight end.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Expected to practice soon
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Giants general manager Joe Schoen said Wednesday that Johnson (hip) should return to practice soon, Patricia Traina of SI.com reports.
The rookie fourth-round pick is on the PUP list for the start of training camp, slightly delaying what looks to be a fantastic opportunity. The Giants have one of the weakest tight end groups in the league after Darren Waller's retirement this summer, potentially giving Johnson a chance to compete with third-year pro Daniel Bellinger for a starting job. Those two may be the only tight ends on the roster with every-down potential, as Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz are veteran blocking specialists, while Lawrence Cager and Tyree Jackson profile as oversized slot receivers. None of the bunch has ever caught more than 34 passes in a season at the NFL or college levels.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Dealing with hip injury
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The Giants are hopeful that Johnson (hip), who was placed on the PUP list Tuesday, isn't dealing with a long-term injury, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list as soon as he's able to practice, so if his hip issue is indeed minor, he may not have to miss much of training camp. The rookie fourth-round pick has just over three weeks to recover prior to New York's preseason opener against the Lions on Aug. 8. When healthy, Johnson should compete with Daniel Bellinger (undisclosed) for the No. 1 tight end role.
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Giants' Theo Johnson: Hits PUP list
Rotowire
The Giants placed Johnson (undisclosed) on the PUP list Tuesday with an undisclosed injury, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Johnson will be eligible to come off the PUP list any time during training camp or the preseason, but his expected recovery timetable remains unclear, as does the nature of his injury. The rookie fourth-round pick could have an opportunity to compete with Daniel Bellinger (undisclosed) for the starting tight end job, which is wide open in the wake of Darren Waller's retirement. It would be a notable blow to Johnson's outlook if he's forced to miss a substantial portion of camp.
