New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This Year 2 NY Giant Labeled a 'Breakout Player to Watch' for 2025

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Although the NY Giants will enter the 2025 NFL campaign with markedly more ability and depth, there are still expectations regarding younger players who need to step up in their contributions and development.

One such player whom Pro Football & Sports Network would like to see take a huge step forward for the Giants is second-year tight end Theo Johnson.

"As a fourth-round rookie in 2024, Theo Johnson started 11 of the 12 games he played in before a season-ending foot injury. Most notably, he caught 26 passes between Weeks 5-13,” PFSN noted in its analysis.

"The New York Giants value Johnson; he played in over 70% of their offensive snaps every game he played. He’s a freak athlete at tight end who should benefit from a new quarterback throwing to him in Year 2."

Can Theo Johnson take a jump in 2025 for NY Giants?

The Penn State alum finished with a scant 29 receptions for 331 yards last season and tallied a 14.7 drop percentage, per Pro Football Focus.

One could attribute those modest numbers to the perils of transitioning to the NFL or New York's poor passing attack, but it is important to note that Johnson did not typically fill up the stat sheet in college, either.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pounder could just develop into a solid blocker and occasional red-zone threat, without ever becoming an all-round impactful tight end.

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Johnson has the physical traits coaches covet at the position, however. Furthermore, as PFSN notes, he started to get more comfortable in the Giants' offensive system.

Through 4 games, Johnson played limited snaps as a blocker, but in Week 5, he had a bit of a breakout, catching all five of his targets.

From that point on, Johnson’s routes became more challenging, as did his overall blocking responsibilities. There were growing pains along the way, but there were also signs of progress.

Johnson quickly earned full-time starting status and rarely came off the field, largely due to his reliable blocking and size. He put his large frame to ward off defenders, which was a big advantage.

Johnson also showed a good burst of speed and agility for that size and big hands that were snatch-worthy. That said, he’s still “raw,” or at least was when his season abruptly ended last year, but he’s also one of those “sky’s the limit” prospects who’s already shown an ability to grow.

Whether he takes that next step remains to be seen.