He may not have Malik Nabers to throw to, but it hasn’t taken long for Russell Wilson to forge a connection with another go-to receiver who happens to be a breakout candidate for the New York Giants.
Wilson went to new favorite target tight end Theo Johnson early and often during scrimmages with the New York Jets on Tuesday, August 12. The pair combined for “a handful of passes” against their AFC East-based neighbors, according to Giants.com Senior Managing Editor Dan Salomone.
One of those passes found Johnson for a score on a slant “over the middle,” per Salomone’s colleague John Schmeelk. The score was the highlight of a prolific day’s work for Johnson, and Wilson was quick to talk up the second-year pro’s improvement.
Wilson told reporters, “Theo’s doing an unbelievable job of just stepping up, being confident, making plays. His confidence has been continually rising, and his ability is just getting better and better. I think he really knows what I want him to do and he’s practicing it, he’s worked at it, we’re talking about it, we’re working at it at walk-throughs and practice obviously, getting extra time. If you ever notice, Theo gets all this extra work on the side throughout practice and I think that’s valuable work and just the dialogue – I think any time you have a great quarterback-receiver relationship, tight end relationship, it’s communication, it’s vision, it’s feel, and it’s just making plays as well.”
Those words speak to the rapid development of an under-the-radar partnership that can elevate the Giants’ passing attack in multiple ways.
Giants Finding New Ways to Use Theo Johnson
The Giants know something big is in store for Johnson, at least based on the new ways they’ve been moving him around and getting him the ball during training camp. One of the most notable was this play where Johnson blocked then leaked into space to receive an underhand throw from Wilson, on what The Giants Report dubbed, “Definitely a Mike Kafka play.”
Giants offensive coordinator Kafka, who appears set to resume play-calling duties this year, probably saw this concept during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, and how it worked for All-Pro Travis Kelce.
The latter dominates because of how much the Chiefs move him around, and Kafka is adopting a similar approach with Johnson. That means taking advantage of the former Penn State star’s move skills to flex him into the slot, something noticed by Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports on a camp play highlighted by Giants Nation Show host Bobby Skinner.
Plays like these reveal the Giants are going to get more creative with a bigger target who has been studying some of the best at his position. Including an ex-Giants Pro Bowler whose roving athleticism Johnson hopes to emulate.
Johnson has been putting in the work to get better, but his best chance of improving still comes from the presence of Wilson.
Russell Wilson Remains Key for Giants Breakout Candidate
Wilson holds the key to the pace of Johnson’s development because of the veteran quarterback’s fondness for targeting tight ends. The 10-time Pro Bowler established multiple-target rapports with a host of tight ends throughout his career, including Jimmy Graham, Greg Dulcich (who’s on the Giants’ roster) and Pittsburgh Steelers standout Pat Freiermuth.
That history is great news for Johnson, who earned a mere 43 targets after entering the pros as a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. While the number was low, Johnson did showcase a niche skill in an area of the field where the Giants need more big plays.
All signs are pointing to Johnson becoming a much bigger factor in this season’s offense. His emergence would be timely while dynamic wideout Nabers continues to deal with a toe injury.
Wilson and Nabers can be a special duo once the latter returns to the field, but the Giants will still need an underneath complement. Something Johnson looks increasingly equipped to provide.
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