When you have a hopeful franchise quarterback like the New York Giants do, the team needs to do its best to provide the guy with the weapons to succeed, and that’s what Big Blue has tried to do this offseason.
Losing Wan’Dale Robinson to the Tennessee Titans was a tough blow, but Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin may be able to replace his production in the aggregate.
Malik Nabers is a bona fide No. 1 option, but a second surgery on his knee provides a murky outlook for his availability this summer and into the regular season.
That leaves the tight ends as key weapons for Jaxson Dart heading into Year 2 of his NFL career, and according to Bleacher Report, one of them is the Giants‘ best-kept secret.
Theo Johnson Tabbed as Giants ‘Best-Kept Secret’
B/R’s Brent Sobleski compiled a list of every NFL team’s “best-kept secret” heading into OTAs, and for the New York Giants, he named third-year tight end Theo Johnson.
Now, New York did bring in former Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely this offseason, giving him a three-year, $40 million contract to be their lead tight end.
But that doesn’t mean Johnson won’t still have a role with the Giants.
“Likely, Mark Andrews and Charlie Kolar all played 400 or more snaps for the Baltimore Ravens last season. With John Harbaugh taking over the Giants, an emphasis on the tight end position should continue. Matt Nagy’s hire as offensive coordinator doesn’t change the math, either, since the Kansas City Chiefs‘ Travis Kelce and Noah Gray both played more than 500 snaps last year,” wrote Sobleski.
“Johnson’s emergence as a receiving threat during his second campaign deserves attention, because he’s a big target (6’6″, 259 lbs) with a good athletic profile. He can play in-line, while still serving as a complementary pass-catcher when Likely is also on the field.”
While having two receiving threats at tight end certainly sounds counterintuitive on the surface, it should help take the Giants’ offense to another level.
With no bona fide WR2 on the roster, Likely will have a good chance to line up both attached to the formation in New York’s offense, and split out wide like a wide receiver in certain packages, giving Johnson plenty of time to flash.
John Harbaugh Knows What to Do With Multiple Tight Ends
This isn’t the first time the New York Giants have been questioned about their two tight end plan.
When Likely was first signed, head coach John Harbaugh was asked about his plans for the Giants’ offense and how Johnson fits with his former Ravens pupil.
“Two tight ends out there that are pretty special, very special, talented players together. It’s exciting,” Harbaugh told reporters at the NFL coaches’ breakfast.
When asked specifically about Likely, Harbaugh went into more detail.
“He’s got a big catch radius. He can make plays after he makes a catch. He can get upfield. He can make people miss. He can run people over. He’s a very good perimeter blocker. You’ll see that. That will be good for our run game.”
It remains to be seen how hidden Johnson will remain within the Giants offense, and just how many targets and opportunities he’ll receive compared to Likely.
Giants ‘Best-Kept Secret’ May Not Even Be Jaxson Dart’s No. 1 Target