Fourth Round Draft Selection: TE Theo Johnson
April 27, 2024
Q. Congratulations.
THEO JOHNSON: Thank you.
Q. Just curious, what the process was like, you were probably thinking maybe you got picked last night. What's it been like the last 24 hours for you?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, you know, was hoping for day two and just the way the Draft shook out this year -- wasn't in the cards for me but I think I got picked exactly when I was supposed to and exactly where I was supposed to.
Q. You obviously visited here. Did you have any indication that this could be one of the more likely landing spots?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, you know, since the beginning of this process, you know, the Giants were very clear with their interest in me. I worked closely with Shea Tierney at the Senior Bowl and feel like we got a really good feel for each other.
Went to school and worked with Christian Daboll, Brian Daboll's son, when he was at Penn State. So pretty early on, they showed a lot of interest and it was clear that this was definitely a potential landing spot for me.
Q. What was your visit like? Did you come on the local day or did you come on a separate visit?
THEO JOHNSON: I actually didn't visit the Giants.
Q. How would you describe your game?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, I'd describe my game as gritty, explosive and powerful. I think that I can get dirty in the trenches but also be a real factor in the pass game.
Q. It's easy just to look up stats on a player and see catches, yards, touchdowns, things like that. Players play in all kinds of different systems and better offenses and better passing games. What kind of a threat do you think you are as a pass catcher and a receiver?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, I give defenses a real problem because I have the speed and also the sheer size and power. When you have both of those as a tight end it makes it really hard to defend because I can get up in your body and create separation or use my speed or use both. I think that's going to give a lot of people challenges when it comes to defending me.
Q. You mentioned your time with Shea down at the Senior Bowl, I assume it was, right. What's that week like when you're spending as much time with coaches and do you almost develop an affinity and see their relationship with you as you're going through the whole process?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, it's a really cool experience. It's nothing like anything else in this football aspect, all the way from high school and camps and all that stuff. It's super different. You've got coaches from all over the league coming together for a week with kids all over the country, and then making a team in a five-day period to play a game.
So that week, you get a real good feel for coaches and their style of coaching and how they do things. I think me and Shea had a lot of fun together with just what he was dialing up, and the feel he got for me as a player, and obviously I was kind of rooting for the Giants since then because I had a really good feel for him and how he's doing things.
Q. Looking at the Giants roster, what did they tell you about how you might fit in or where do you think you can make a difference here?
THEO JOHNSON: Haven't had any specific discussions about the roster and where that might lie.
What I do know is that I'm going to come in and I'm going to work from day one, and whatever role I earn will be one that I earned, and I'm going to do my very best to show everybody in the building that I deserve to be taken seriously and I'm going to work for every single thing that shows up on tape.
Q. Your size and speed and just the scouting report, you seem similar in some ways to Darren Waller. Is that a guy you've watched and do you think you see similarities there?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, I've definitely watched Darren Waller. I have a lot of respect for his game. You know, he's someone that has really established himself in the league, and I'm really looking forward to being in the same room as him and just hearing his wisdom from what he's been through, not only in his career and his life but I'm really looking forward to being his teammate.
Q. Any disappointment Saquon isn't still here?
THEO JOHNSON: It's funny, he actually just texted me and congratulated me. Would have been really cool to play with him if he was still around but we'll see how things shake out in the future but I think I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Q. Any other tight ends that you've modeled your game after or at least try to take some things from them watching them play?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, growing up, I watched a lot of Tony G (Gonzalez). People would always tell me that I reminded them of Tony G when they watched me play, so I watched him. And then more recently, I watch a ton of George Kittle. I have a ton of respect for the way he approaches the game as a tight end. I think he's one of the last of the true tight ends that can do everything you need, can block a head-up six on power and make the tough catch on third and fourth down. I have a lot of respect for those guys' game.
Q. Do you think you can be one of those players? Do you think you can be a George Kittle for the Giants?
THEO JOHNSON: I think I'm definitely capable of being a tight end that you can't take off the field with all the attributes that I have and I'm going to work for that. I know I have work to do and I'm going to do the work it's going to take to be a George Kittle and be a guy that you just don't want to take off the field because I can do every single thing you're asking your tight end to do.
Q. You mentioned two guys that are really good blockers and you said you wanted to show that you're a tight end that can be on the field at all times. Where would you say you are in the blocking progression at this point?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, I think looking back from freshman year when I came in, I played receiver in high school, I can count on two hands the amount of times I put my hand in the dirt in high school.
So I've only been blocking for four years, and I think just looking at my growth from freshman year to now, it's not even comparable to where I'm at. And the exciting thing for me is there's still so much more growth to be had there, and I think when it's all said and done, I'm going to be a very dominant blocker. I have room to improve and I think that's somewhere that every tight end will tell you that they have room to prove in the blocking game but I definitely think that's an area that with more work and attention to detail, I can be very dominant.
Q. Whenever you mention the idea of, was it going to be last night, was it going to be today, how did you approach it? I know some guys are hesitant to have parties, have people together because you just don't know. What has your last 12 hours been like? Did you get people together? Was it disappointing last night? How did you approach it?
THEO JOHNSON: Yeah, I had people at the house last night. Had a little party. All people super close to me. People that have had a hand in my process. So it was -- it didn't go the way that I planned it to go or thought it was going to be but everybody understood and knew that it just part of God's plan for me going today and I think me going today just tells me that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be and I went exactly when I was supposed to.
Q. Did you invite them back today?
THEO JOHNSON: I had a few people come back. A lot of people had flights or things that they had to do today, so they couldn't make it back. But the people that were still around came back.
