Fox Sports picks Theo Johnson as 2025 breakout candidate
When it comes to the Giants' offense, it's no secret that Malik Nabers is the No. 1 option in the passing game.
But who might step up this season as the next top option?
According to Fox Sports' David Helman, it could be tight end Theo Johnson.
Helman recently chose a breakout candidate from each team across the league, and when it came to the Giants, he went with the second-year tight end.
"Fun as he might be, you can't build the entire plane out of Malik Nabers," wrote Helman. "He's a bona fide star and he's going to catch 100 balls this year, but Russell Wilson will need to find at least one or two other reliable targets. Johnson just might fit the bill after a promising rookie season. This is a dude with far better speed and athleticism than his 264-pound frame might suggest, and he's shown the ability to stretch the field down the seam. Pat Freiermuth led the Steelers in receptions last season, so I don't think Wilson will struggle to get him the ball if he lives up to his rookie potential."
Johnson finished his rookie season with 29 receptions for 331 yards and a touchdown across just 12 games. The yards ranked third among rookie tight ends, while his 29 receptions ranked fourth.
The young tight end was starting to pick things up before suffering his season-ending foot injury on Thanksgiving. Johnson registered 35+ receiving yards in each of his last five games, including a season-high five receptions for 54 yards in his final outing.
The 6-foot-6 tight end had compiled 50+ receiving yards in two of his final four contests.
As the article states, Pittsburgh's Pat Freiermuth put together the best season of his NFL career last year with Wilson under center for most of it. The Steelers tight end finished with a team-high 65 receptions, which was also a new personal high mark for Freiermuth, for 653 yards and seven touchdowns. Of those stats, 43 receptions for 459 yards and five touchdowns came from Wilson in his 11 starts.
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WR Darius Slayton (18),WR Malik Nabers (1),OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) WR Dalen Cambre (5),WR Wan'Dale Robinson (17),WR Montrell Washington (80),WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87),K Graham Gano (9) WR Da'Quan Felton (9),WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey (81),WR Juice Wells Jr. (2),WR Jalin Hyatt (13)
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WR Dalen Cambre (5)
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OLB Tomon Fox (45)
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DL Chauncey Golston (57)
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RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29)
QB Jaxson Dart (6)
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OLB Caleb Murphy - Claimed off waivers from NE (December 16)
K Younghoe Koo - Waived, No Recall (December 16)
G Evan Neal - Designated for Return / Returned to Practice (December 16)
DB Jarrick Bernard-Converse - Practice Squad (December 16)
WR Dalen Cambre, OLB Tomon Fox - Free Agent Signings from NYG PS | ILB Darius Muasau - Activated, from Reserve | DB Jarrick Bernard-Converse - Waived, No Recall | OLB Victor Dimukeje, CB Nic Jones - Reserve/Injured | DL Elijah Chatman, P Cameron Johnston - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) | (December 13)
WR Ryan Miller - Claimed off waivers from TB (December 11)
WR Beaux Collins - Designated for Return / Returned to Practice (December 10)
OL Joshua Ezeudu - Returned to Practice (December 10)
WR Xavier Gipson - Practice Squad Exception (December 10)
P Cameron Johnston - Practice Squad Veteran (December 10)
WR Ray-Ray McCloud - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (December 10)
CB Myles Purchase- Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (December 10)
ILB Darius Muasau - Designated for Return / Returned to Practice (December 9)
CB Art Green - Designated for Return / Returned to Practice (December 9)
DL Casey Rogers - Practice Squad (December 8)
OLB Tomon Fox - Practice Squad Exception (December 4)
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OLB Tomon Fox - Free Agent Signing from NYG PS (December 1)
LB Swayze Bozeman - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (December 1)
WR Dalen Cambre - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (December 1)
CB Myles Purchase - Practice Squad (November 25)
TE Maximilian Mang - International Practice Player Signing (November 24)
K Jude McAtamney - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (November 24)
RB Eric Gray - Activated, from Reserve (November 22)
TE Thomas Fidone II - Reserve/Injured (November 22)
LB Swayze Bozeman - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (November 22)
WR Dalen Cambre - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (November 22)
OLB Tomon Fox - Practice Squad Exception (November 19)
RB Eric Gray - Returned to Practice (November 19)
OLB Tomon Fox - Waived, No Recall (November 17)
K Younghoe Koo - Free Agent Signing from NYG PS (November 15)
G Evan Neal - Reserve/Injured (November 15)
WR Dalen Cambre - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (November 15)
DL Elijah Chatman - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (November 15)
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K Jude McAtamney - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (October 4)
OLB Tomon Fox - Practice Squad Exception (October 1)
WR Malik Nabers - Reserve/Injured (September 29)
OLB Tomon Fox - Waived, No Recall (September 29)
DL Elijah Garcia - Free Agent Signing from NYG PS (September 27)
OLB Tomon Fox - Free Agent Signing from NYG PS (September 27)
K Jude McAtamney - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 27)
LB Neville Hewitt - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 27)
K Graham Gano - Reserve/Injured (September 27)
OLB Tomon Fox - Practice Squad Exception (September 24)
K Younghoe Koo - Practice Squad Veteran (September 23)
LB Curtis Jacobs - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 23)
OLB Tomon Fox - Waived, No Recall (September 22)
OLB Tomon Fox - Free Agent Signing from NYG PS (September 20)
WR Xavier Gipson - Waived, No Recall (September 20)
DL Elijah Garcia - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 20)
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ILB Micah McFadden - Reserve/Injured (September 11)
CB Tre Hawkins III - Waived, No Recall from Reserve/Injured (September 9)
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G McClendon Curtis - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 8)
DL Elijah Garcia - Activated from Practice Squad/Standard Elevation (Sept. 6)
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RB Jonathan Ward - Free Agent Signing (August 4)
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RB Rushawn Baker - Waived, Injured (August 4)
WR Gunner Olszewski - Free Agent Signing (July 28)
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton - Reserve/Injured (July 28)
S K'Von Wallace - Free Agent Signing (July 22)
DB Anthony Johnson - Waived, Injured (July 22)
T Andrew Thomas - Declared Physically Unable to Perform (July 22)
RB Eric Gray - Declared Physically Unable to Perform (July 22)
OLB Victor Dimukeje - Declared Non-Football Injury (July 22)
Giants receive 2026 sixth-round draft pick from Dolphins in exchange for conditional 2027 seventh-round selection and TE Darren Waller (July 7)
RB Cam Skattebo - Selection List Signing (June 18)
DL Darius Alexander - Selection List Signing (June 2)
QB Jaxson Dart - Selection List Signing (May 30)
OLB Abdul Carter - Selection List Signing (May 22)
WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey - Free Agent Signing (May 12)
CB T.J. Moore - Free Agent Signing (May 12)
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DB Tommy McCormick - Waived, No Recall (May 12)
OL Marcus Mbow - Selection List Signing (May 9)
TE Thomas Fidone II - Selection List Signing (May 9)
CB Korie Black - Selection List Signing (May 9)
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WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (May 9)
DL Casey Rogers - Waived, No Recall (May 8)
CB Korie Black - Selected in the 7th Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 246 overall) (April 26)
TE Thomas Fidone II - Selected in the 7th Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 219 overall) (April 26)
OL Marcus Mbow - Selected in the 5th Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 154 overall) (April 26)
RB Cam Skattebo - Selected in the 4th Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 105 overall) (April 26)
DL Darius Alexander - Selected in the 3rd Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 65 overall) (April 25)
QB Jaxson Dart - Selected in the 1st Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 25 overall) (April 24)
LB Abdul Carter - Selected in the 1st Round of 2025 NFL Draft (No. 3 overall) (April 24)
DT Ross Blacklock - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (April 15)
QB Jameis Winston - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 31)
LB Ty Summers - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 31)
QB Russell Wilson - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 26)
ILB Dyontae Johnson - Exclusive Rights Signing (March 26)
WR Zach Pascal - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 25)
OL Aaron Stinnie - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 25)
OLB Victor Dimukeje - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 21)
WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 21)
OL Greg Van Roten - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 19)
DL Jeremiah Ledbetter - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 18)
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CB Paulson Adebo - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
S Jevón Holland - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
WR Darius Slayton - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
DL Chauncey Golston - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
OL James Hudson III - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
LB Chris Board - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
OL Stone Forsythe - Free Agent Signing (March 13)
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette - Re-signed (March 12)
DT Roy Robertson-Harris - Free Agent Signing (March 10)
P Jamie Gillan - Re-signed (March 8)
TE Chris Manhertz - Re-signed (March 8)
QB Tommy DeVito - Re-signed (March 8)
OLB Tomon Fox - Re-signed (March 7)
LS Casey Kreiter - Re-signed (March 5)
WR Montrell Washington - Free Agent Signing (February 14)
CB Nic Jones - Free Agent Signing (February 14)
DT Ross Blacklock - Reserve/Future (January 6)
C Bryan Hudson - Reserve/Future (January 6)
K Jude McAtamney - Reserve/Future (January 6)
C Jimmy Morrissey - Reserve/Future (January 6)
DT Casey Rogers - Reserve/Future (January 6)
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