Do The New York Giants Finally Have An Offensive Threat At Fullback?

In an offseason where Jerry Reese made big-money signings to help fortify a putrid defense, the New York Giants made an under-the-radar pickup on offense as well. Will Johnson, a discarded fullback from the Pittsburgh Steelers, was barely noticed on the list of free agent pickups that included Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins and Damon Harrison. But he may actually provide an offensive threat the Giants haven’t had in years.

Nikita Whitlock was a great story for the Giants last season and certainly a fan favorite for his efforts on defense and special teams. As a true fullback, he was pretty average and probably a downgrade on the Giants 2014 fullback Henry Hynoski. In addition, Whitlock provided no threat as a receiver, which probably limited his snap count.

That’s where Johnson comes in. Of Johnson’s 89 snaps in 2015, only two were at fullback; the majority were at tight end. He wasn’t exactly Gronk as a receiver; he had two catches on four targets and a two-point conversion catch. But in 2012, he had 15 catches for 9.1 YPC and a touchdown. So, he’s not stone handed and he has the ability to get open.

While the Giants were ranked 8th in total offense, they struggled in the red zone. The Giants only converted for touchdowns 44.4% of the time ranking them 29th in the NFL. Johnson could be a viable weapon near the goal line. Not only is he a pass catching option off play action, he could be used as a short-yardage tailback. The stats aren’t mind blowing, but Johnson did have a touchdown run off four carries last season.

Johnson’s not a game changing addition to the roster, but he provides Ben McAdoo with options and therefore further confuses defenses. Again, Johnson only played 89 snaps last season, but according to James Kratch of NJ.com, that number should go up.

“If the Giants were to use him as a fullback, his snap count would definitely make a big jump. Nikita Whitlock was used as a fullback in under 12 percent of the Giants’ offensive plays in 2015, but that was still good enough to give him nearly 50 percent more snaps than Johnson had in total (132 for Whitlock, 89 for Johnson).”

Johnson’s ability as a pass catcher could bump his snaps up even more. Adding Johnson isn’t going to vault the Giants into a playoff team, but he’s versatile. Even if his stats don’t pop off the page, he’s another receiving threat out of the backfield that opposing defenses need to cover, something the Giants didn’t have in 2015.