'Hard Knocks': Giants had 'a lot of conviction' when it came to drafting TE Theo Johnson
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants airs through Tuesday’s finale at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and is available to stream on Max.
In the penultimate episode of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants, it was crystal clear how enamored the team was with LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers.
As the (off)season finale will show, the Giants were plenty excited about another pass catcher, Penn State tight end Theo Johnson.
“There was a lot of conviction in the building from our scouting staff and our coaching staff that had spent time with the kid,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen tells the camera.
Head coach Brian Daboll was a major fan of Johnson’s, lauding his speed-size combo and potential for making game-changing plays. It’s likely he was more of a fan after talking to Johnson, as Daboll welcomed him to the team amid a celebratory draft room and was told he wouldn’t regret taking a chance on the Nittany Lion.
“We’re fired up to have you, look forward to working with you,” Daboll says.
“You won’t regret this decision, coach, you’re going to get everything out of me,” Johnson pledges.
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Selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Johnson was the 107th overall pick and is currently in his first training camp after dealing with a hip injury. He’s off the physically unable to perform list and could play a pivotal role for an offense dealing with the retirement of tight end Darren Waller.
Though his first day as part of the Giants organization is spotlighted in the finale of the first year of Hard Knocks‘ offseason format, Johnson’s rookie season is still ahead.
So too is Nabers’ and the rest of the Big Blue class of ’24, which will get to take a brief journey back in time on Tuesday night’s episode.
