Theo Johnson has potential, and his development will answer the question
When Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll took over as decision-makers for the New York Giants, they started over at the tight end position.
The Giants watched Evan Engram, a 2017 first-round pick who was supposed to be thee franchise’s answer as a pass-catching tight end, sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
Engram, who suffered a number of costly drops and was never what his physical skills indicated he could be with the Giants, had become a target of a frustrated fan base.
With the Jaguars, Engram became the player Jerry Reese thought he was selecting for the Giants back in 2017. Last season, Engram had career-highs in receptions (114) and receiving yards (963).
The Giants are still in the process of rebuilding the position.
Current roster: Theo Johnson, Chris Manhertz, Daniel Bellinger
Players drafted since 2022: Daniel Bellinger (Round 4, No. 112, 2022); Theo Johnson (Round 4, No. 107, 2024)
Biggest acquisitions: Darren Waller (via trade) | Chris Manhertz (free agency)
Biggest losses: Evan Engram, Darren Waller
The Giants took a big swing at revitalizing their passing game with the trade for Waller in 2023. That failed as Waller was good, but not the transformative player they hoped he would be, and the injuries that made him available once again were troublesome.
Schoen acknowledged this week that there was “probably truth” to the idea that he made a mistake by trying to accelerate what he knew would be a long-term rebuild for the Giants after the team’s surprising success in 2022. Schoen did not amplify which moves he thought were mistakes, but a trade for an older, injury-plagued tight end could likely be considered such a miscalculation.
Waller’s retirement led to where the Giants are now.
To protect themselves from a Waller retirement they had to be relatively certain was coming, the Giants selected 6-foot-6, 259-pound Theo Johnson in Round 4.
Many pre-draft scouting reports, including one by BBV’s Chris Pflum, saw Johnson as a “secondary tight end.” The Giants saw potential to be more, and have force-fed Johnson by making him their No. 1 tight end from the beginning.
Johnson has shown plenty of potential to become a quality all-around tight end and a big-play weapon in the passing game.
Johnson has 21 receptions, but an unacceptable 12.5% drop rate. His success rate on catches is just 46.9%, and blocking (51.2 run-blocking grade and a 50.4 pass-blocking grade, per Pro Football focus) has been just adequate.
Chris Manhertz, long one of the league’s best blocking tight ends, has been exactly what the Giants hoped for when they signed him as a free agent. Here is how Daboll recently described Manhertz:
“Total pro. For an older guy, he’s out there practicing every day, never misses a beat. I think everyone in the room, both on the offense and the defensive side, have a very high respect for him on how he goes about his business. He’s tough. He’s asked to do a lot of the dirty work as a tight end, and as a former tight end coach, I appreciate that about him. He’s smart. He’s a good leader for the younger players, guys like Theo and Belly (Daniel Bellinger). Great teammate. Can’t say enough good things about the things that he has brought to our team, the toughness element that he has. He’s really helped us in the running game and in the protection part of it for the tight ends. A consummate pro.”
With the Giants seeing more upside in Johnson’s size and athleticism, and believing that Manhertz offers more as a blocker, Daniel Bellinger’s role has been limited.
The verdict
To be determined. If Johnson develops the way the Giants hope he will, they will have a dynamic, all-around tight end for the next several years. If Johnson is just the secondary tight end many scouting reports indicated, they will have to keep looking.
