The New York Giants’ season has been a heck of a roller coaster thus far, and a roster that has been tested early and often.
Injuries to key playmakers like Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo have stripped the offense of explosive options, leaving rookie gunslinger Jaxson Dart hung out to dry a little bit with Week 9 on the horizon.
But what he’s found is a 6-foot-6, 265-pound mismatch nightmare in tight end Theo Johnson -- a player who’s quietly produced so far this fall, and a weapon whose workload should only increase.
An early Day 3 pick out of Penn State last spring, Johnson’s combination of size, athleticism, and fluid movement is really the typical archetype out of Happy Valley from the position. While relatively quiet in year one in 2024, through eight games of his sophomore campaign, he’s caught 23 of his 35 targets for 212 yards and four touchdowns, proving himself to be more than just a red-zone threat -- but a complete, reliable option over the middle of the field.
And as the Giants head into a critical Week 9 matchup with the 49ers, Johnson’s growing role could be the key to flipping the script.
With Daniel Bellinger battling injury and the Giants’ skill group thinned out, Johnson has a chance to take over as a heavily featured set of hands for Dart. The chemistry between the two has steadily improved with 14 targets over the last three weeks combined, particularly on quick seam routes and crossers, where Johnson can use his size and stride length to separate from linebackers.
He’s been a tough cover in man situations -- too athletic for most linebackers and too physical for safeties -- and in zone, his spatial awareness and knack for boxing defenders out at the sticks provide the Giants a true matchup advantage when the offense needs it in high leverage moments.
Johnson’s ability to work the middle of the field has helped keep drives alive, but where he’s really come alive has been in the most important area of the field: the red zone.
His four touchdowns already tie him with some of the league’s top tight ends, and he’s done it in a variety of ways -- from isolation fades to quick play-action leaks. He’s shown excellent awareness in tight spaces, using his frame to shield defenders and his strong hands to finish plays through contact.
And there’s something special brewing historically.
Only three tight ends in Giants franchise history have recorded at least eight touchdown receptions in a single season -- Aaron Thomas (nine in 1967), Joe Walton (nine in 1962), and Mark Bavaro (eight in 1987).
With four scores already and nine games still to play, Johnson has a legitimate chance to join elite company.
Keeping the focus on this week and against a physical 49ers front seven, the Giants will need Johnson to be both a security blanket and a spark. San Francisco’s defense thrives on collapsing pockets and taking away big plays on the perimeter, meaning the middle of the field could be where Dart and Johnson connect most often.
If the young tight end can continue to win early in routes and create after the catch, he could once again be the difference-maker New York needs.