Rookie Profile: Theo Johnson, Tight End, New York Giants
Welcome to the Rookie Profile: Theo Johnson, a Tight End from Penn State. He is from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and was a 4-star recruit out of Holy Names High School.
As a redshirt freshman in 2020 for Penn State, Johnson played in only 4 games. He caught 4 passes for 56 receiving yards and 0 touchdowns while preserving his redshirt.
In 2021 as a freshman for Penn State, he appeared in 13 games. Once again he totaled minimal stats with 19 receptions for 213 yards and 1 touchdown.
His sophomore season of 2022 saw him appear in 11 games with again limited production. While significantly more than his previous season, he still was only able to rack up 20 receptions for 328 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.
His final collegiate season came as a junior in 2023 for Penn State. He appeared in 13 games and caught 34 passes for 341 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 4 Pick 107
- Round 4 draft capital wouldn’t appear to be earth-shattering at first glance, but for a relatively unknown tight end to find his way to the edge of the top 100 is excellent.
- Johnson was expected to be selected on day three, but it was expected to be far later than this. An early day three selected would indicate that the Giants believe in his talents and see him as the successor to Darren Waller sooner rather than later, in fact immediately.
Landing Spot- New York Giants
- The Giants are not exactly a high-flying offense to target, and that’s why this is an excellent landing spot for Johnson. Darren Waller is expected to retire and with no bonafide wide receivers or running backs on this roster, everything is up for grabs.
- The role that Johnson could earn with a solid performance in training camp is almost limitless. He could easily find himself as the number one or two receiving target for Daniel Jones very early in his rookie campaign. This landing spot has tons of upside and potential.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Starting Tight End
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
The fantasy impact here is unknown as it will be a matter of how well he performs in training camp and the preseason. If he steps up and shows any level of talent early, he could be the biggest steal of the 2024 fantasy football season, but if he struggles during the preseason he could easily find himself as yet another member of this offense that is irrelevant.
Johnson is perhaps the best risk vs. reward play at the tight end position. His situation and talent afford him top-five potential, but the uncertainty means he could also be completely useless for your fantasy team. Luckily he is nearly free in most leagues. Draft him later, but have a backup plan in case he doesn’t pan out.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe Sneak Peek Video of Theo Johnson.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
