4 NY Giants who have impressed at OTAs thus far
3. TE Theo Johnson
With all the reports surrounding Darren Waller's likely retirement, the Giants are going to need one of their tight ends to step it up big time this season in order to fill the void. While third-year TE Daniel Bellinger seems like the best option to start right away, it certainly seems like Theo Johnson could give him a run for his money.
Bellinger is the better blocker and will likely be more consistent out of the gates. However, Johnson is an athletic monster with a higher ceiling as a pure pass-catcher and throughout the start of OTAs, Johnson has stood out quite well.
"At the start of 11-on-11 drills, Tommy DeVito hit Theo Johnson for what would have been a first down. The next play, DeVito hit Darius Slayton on a slant for a first down... Speaking of Johnson, the rookie tight end made several impressive catches on Tuesday, including one in a tight window for what would have been a first down. Later in practice, Johnson caught a pass from Drew Lock up the seam for a 20+ yard gain."
- Matt Clark of Giants.com
During his last season at Penn State, Johnson caught 34 passes for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. These numbers may not be eye-popping, but Johnson's an athletic freak, earning the second-highest athleticism score out of all tight ends on the NFL Combine website.
To start the season, Johnson may start off as a red-zone threat, but don't be surprised if he earns a bigger role as the season goes on. He could provide a valuable safety net for Daniel Jones in tough situations.