There's been much hubbub over the Giants offense heading into 2024.
Quarterback Daniel Jones is coming off a torn ACL looking to prove to New York he's still the guy sans running back Saquon Barkley, gone to the rival Eagles, and rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers is already carrying the weight of great expectations.
Flying more below the radar, even in the wake of Darren Waller's prolonged contemplation and eventual decision to retire, is how the tight end room will play into a hopeful Big Blue redemption tour.
If it's up to fourth-rounder Theo Johnson, he'll factor quite heavily into the effort.
"I think I'm definitely ready to have a role on this team, and I'm trying to show everyone that I'm capable of having a lot on my plate," Johnson told the . "I'm learning as I go and continuing to improve. I still think there is a lot of meat on the bone, for sure. But I think I'm off to a good start.
"The biggest adjustment is probably the mental piece, for sure. There's so much more volume, and the detail is so much greater than in college, especially at the tight end position where you're asked to know so much."
New York made Johnson the fifth tight end off the board in April's draft, a selection highlighted in Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.
A balanced prospect out of Penn State, where he had 77 career receptions for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns, Johnson spent nearly the first two weeks of training camp on the physically unable to perform list due to a hip injury. The delayed start, especially at a position notorious for a steep learning curve, perhaps contributed to Johnson's current placement as fourth on the team's unofficial depth chart -- behind Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager (currently dealing with a groin injury) and Chris Manhertz.
Preseason pecking order can often shift considerably once the regular season hits, though, and the 23-year-old nonetheless has high aims for his rookie campaign, which he believes he can reach in tandem with New York's current TE1.
"Daniel's a great dude, very unselfish, and he's helped me out a ton with communication and just showing me the ropes," Johnson said of Bellinger. "I think we're similar in the fact that we're not pigeon-holed, we're both capable run blockers and pass catchers.
"So, I think we're going to do a lot of great things together."
Bellinger traveled the same road as Johnson back in 2022 as a fourth-round rookie. He delivered 30 catches for 268 yards and two touchdowns during Jones' best year as a pro, then plateaued as Waller's backup, tallying 28 receptions for 255 yards without a score in 2023.
Now a third-year vet in line to start, both he and Johnson could prove pivotal in supplementing the production of Nabers and the rest of the WR group.
The next step in preparing to do so comes Saturday against the Texans, when Jones is expected to play for the first time since his season-ending injury.
