Seemingly every draft season, a few players surprise the scouting community by dominating their athletic testing at the NFL Combine. It doesn’t always boost their draft stock significantly, but it usually gets draft media’s attention for a few weeks. One of those players was Penn State tight end [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag].
Johnson tested as one of the best athletes ever at the combine, and many thought he could be selected on day two thanks to that showing. Ultimately, he went very early on day three, being selected 107th overall by the New York Giants. He joins a draft class that added a weapon at receiver with Malik Nabers and a versatile running back in Tyrone Tracy.
Johnson’s fit with the Giants is one of the more interesting ones among the Penn State draft picks. On the surface, a tight end with very little college production drafted on day three doesn’t scream potential contributor in year one. However, the Giants current starting tight end Darren Waller is mulling retirement after a third straight injury-riddled season.
With that uncertainty clouding the position, a potential starting spot could be up for grabs. If Waller does indeed call it quits, Johnson’s only competition would be 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger. The Giants do have a few other veterans on the team with Chris Manhertz and Jack Stoll, but if they make the team it will be thanks to their blocking only.
Bellinger was a very athletic tight end prospect in his own right, but so far he has failed to produce as a receiver. He has just 523 career yards in 29 games, and his blocking has been sub-par. Johnson has a real shot at beating him outright in camp for the top spot.
Even if Johnson doesn’t win the job from the start, it’s unlikely Bellinger will keep him off the field for long. They were drafted with nearly identical draft capital (pick 107 vs pick 112) and Bellinger has already had a chance to prove himself with the team. In a season where the front office and coaching staff could be fighting for their jobs, they won’t hesitate to make a change.
Overall, Johnson should be happy with this landing spot. The QB position isn’t ideal, but there were not many spots across the league where he could have fought for a starting spot. Hopefully, he will get a real shot in camp to emerge as a top target.
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