ESPN raves about mid-round 'steal' the NY Giants landed in the draft

Plenty of NY Giants fans are still fired up about the team taking Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick and rightfully so. Nabers will be the WR1 for this squad and people are already dreaming about him trying to post 1,000 yards for the aerial attack. However, he's not the only pick on offense that should have you excited.

In the fourth round, Joe Schoen and Co. decided to take Penn State tight end Theo Johnson off the board. This was a head-turning move, as it appears to signal that former All Pro TE Darren Waller will be retiring after all. In a new piece for ESPN, Matt Miller ranked the best 100 picks, steals and fits. To no surprise, Johnson was mentioned.

The NY Giants are hoping Theo Johnson can make a huge impact in Year 1

"It was very wise of the Giants to grab more options at tight end, and Johnson had flashes on tape throughout his career that would make you think he's a future NFL starter. If the Giants can coach him up, he could be a steal. He caught seven touchdowns last season."

- ESPN's Matt Miller

Johnson, a 6-6, 260-pounder, wasn't expected to still be on the board in the fourth round. Luckily for Schoen and the Big Blue front office, they were able to snatch him up. Johnson didn't put up massive numbers at Penn State, but goodness, the youngster has great hands and he can record some unreal blocks too:

Last season for the Nittany Lions, Johnson recorded 34 receptions for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. During the NFL Combine, he impressed too. Now, Johnson and Daniel Bellinger figure to be the leaders of the tight ends room, assuming Waller does hang up his cleats.

While nothing has been made official, all signs are pointing to Waller calling it a career. Do we really think the Giants would have used a fourth-round pick on a TE if they thought he'd be suiting up in 2024? Not a chance. Countless eyes will be on Johnson to ball out in Year 1, but Miller and others are quite high on him leading up to the fall. This very well could end up being a steal for the G-Men.