The New York Giants know they’ll need reinforcements at wide receiver while star target Malik Nabers recovers from surgery to fix a torn ACL, so the team hosted a proven commodity with a 1,000-yard season on his CV, but a controversial recent past with multiple teams.
Former NFL draft third-round pick Diontae Johnson worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, October 28, according to NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton. The latter also detailed a slew of other workouts, including Johnson’s fellow wideout Jaylen Johnson, along with ex-New England Patriots defensive back Isaiah Bolden.
Among the many names, it’s former Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns pass-catcher Johnson who stands out most. He’s a legitimate vertical threat and a versatile speedster with the core talents to help the Giants compensate better for the loss of Nabers, who is at least now on the long road to recovery.
That is if 29-year-old Johnson could finally settle and repair his reputation after recent stints ended in disappointing fashion.
Diontae Johnson a Risky Option for Giants
Johnson faltered badly after being traded from the Panthers to the Ravens midway through last season. He refused to enter a game against the Giants’ NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles and earned a team-enforced suspension in the process.
Not wanting to be on the field for running plays in cold weather was the shocking reason Johnson gave to explain his actions. He briefly joined the Texans, before landing with Baltimore’s division rival Browns, but Johnson didn’t manage to make the final 53-man roster.
That miss represented the low point for the receiver who amassed 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns as a member of the Steelers in 2021. Those numbers are impressive, but they were posted an age ago, so the Giants may need to focus on Johnson’s talent for separation with the Panthers, when he achieved 0.95 yards distance against man coverage and 1.76 versus zone, according to Player Profiler.
Judging those stats worth the risks needs to be weighed against a receiver who’s had issues getting along and also has 36 drops against his name, per Pro Football Reference. The Giants could be swayed by Nabers’ latest status.
Malik Nabers’ Status Has Changed
There had been concerns about the timeline of Nabers’ surgery, but Big Blue’s go-to target actually underwent the procedure on Tuesday. Nabers “should be ready for the start of next season,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The latter explained how Nabers’ procedure was also designed to address his meniscus, so the rehab period will need to be managed carefully. In the meantime, the Giants will attempt to struggle through with Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton as primary targets for first-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Even though they’ve already signed a receiver who’s a favorite of head coach Brian Daboll, the Giants still need more weapons around Dart. Preferably, playmakers with after-catch skills and big-play potential.
Johnson embodies both of those things, but his motivational issues and rapid decline in production rate as obvious concerns. Perhaps concerns great enough to convince Giants general manager Joe Schoen to look in other directions for help at a key position.
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