The New York Giants selected tight end Theo Johnson in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The former Nittany-Lion possessed a unique blend of size, speed, and athletic upside that Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll fell in love with. Ideally, their goal with the pick was to eventually replace Darren Waller’s receiving ability in the tight-end room. In addition, the team needed another dynamic target in the passing game, and they believed in time, Johnson could provide that. Now in 2025, with Russell Wilson at quarterback, Johnson could be the team’s breakout star on offense.
Giants TE Theo Johnson Could Have Breakout 2025 Season
Johnson’s Rookie Campaign
Johnson won the starting tight-end job over Daniel Bellinger during training camp. He ended up starting eleven out of the twelve games he was available before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury. He finished his rookie season with a modest 29 catches, 331 yards, and just one touchdown.
However, it was evident that Johnson was beginning to feel more comfortable in the offense as the season went on. Early in 2024, there were moments where he was out of place and looked overwhelmed navigating Brian Daboll’s infamously challenging option-based passing game. That’s not a knock on Johnson; most young players typically struggle to adapt to the complexity of an NFL playbook early in their careers. Not to mention, Johnson was a fourth-round pick thrust into a starting role.
As Johnson gained confidence, his numbers began to climb. Even with some of the worst quarterback play in the league, he still managed to snag 26 of his 29 catches during weeks 5-13 for an average of just over three receptions per game. He was able to do this in an offense that averaged just 21.5 completions per game as a unit. In other words, just under 14% of the team’s completions during this span went to Johnson. In an expanding passing offense where Johnson could take advantage of the seams, Johnson could break into one of the league’s best receiving tight ends.
Johnson’s Draft Profile
The former Nittany Lion measures in at 6′6″, 259 lb, and ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2024. In addition, he had a 39″ vertical and the best Relative Athletic Score among all TEs at the combine.
This unique blend of size and skill made him an intriguing mid-round project for teams. If developed correctly, teams believed he could turn into one of the league’s premier receiving tight ends. General scouting reports praised his size‑speed blend, contested‑catch ability, seam‑running, route versatility, and blocking ability. After the combine, his lack of production at Penn State turned into an afterthought.
How Johnson Fits into Brian Daboll’s Offense
As a rookie, Johnson played 70%+ of offensive snaps before his injury. Even though he was a raw product, he was trusted by coaches as TE1 over steady veteran Daniel Bellinger. With the addition of Malik Nabers in the same draft, the Giants have deep WR depth. Now with improved quarterback play, this can create a chance to utilize Johnson in different capacities. Expect him to be used in-line, off‑line, H‑back, red‑zone heavy, seams, and screens in 2025.
For comparison, a realistic breakout for Johnson could look like Pat Frieirmuth’s 2024 season. In 2024, the Steelers’ tight end caught 65 passes for 653 yards and seven touchdowns on 78 targets. Assuming that Johnson is looked at by Wilson in a similar capacity, it’s a fair expectation to call these numbers a breakout for the second-year player. In addition, Johnson is most likely going to be at least the third passing option for the team behind Nabers, Slayton, and possibly Wandale Robinson. Still, this would be a huge jump in development for the rookie who only caught 29 passes in 2024.
The poor quarterback play for the Giants in 2024 hindered the potential of their receiving options. Now there’s an established veteran in Wilson running the offense. There’s potential for a raw player like Johnson to reach his ceiling sooner rather than later. If he stays healthy and the passing game improves, expect Johnson to be a breakout player for the Giants in 2025.
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