Heading into the 2024 NFL draft, the New York Giants have been nonetheless unsure about whether or not or not star tight finish Darren Waller would ever play for them once more.
Waller remains to be mulling his choices whereas going by means of a tumultuous time in his private life, together with a divorce from his spouse, WNBA star Kelsey Plum, after solely a yr.
After the second day of the draft, the Giants nonetheless had no readability on Waller’s standing.
“No, nothing’s modified there,” mentioned Giants normal supervisor Joe Schoen. “We’re nonetheless giving him area and when he’s able to decide, we’ll have these conversations.”
These conversations have been abruptly rendered much less imminent on Saturday when the Giants chosen Penn State tight finish Theo Johnson — a really Waller-like-looking participant — with the 107th total choose in Spherical 4.
After the draft, Schoen was requested if the Johnson choose was in direct response to Waller’s state of affairs.
“We needed to take that into consideration for positive,” he mentioned. “However you recognize, Theo was the highest participant on our board. I’m making an attempt to suppose, if there have been any of those guys that we took that weren’t the highest participant on the board on the time…final night time we left, he was protruding for us. You all the time suppose if you come within the subsequent morning, he’s going to go sooner and will not be there and we’re excited to get Theo.”
Johnson didn’t go to with the Giants throughout the pre-draft course of however mentioned it was “clear” that the Giants had an curiosity in him. The one affiliation he had with the Giants earlier than Saturday was an interplay with quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney on the Senior Bowl however admitted he had one other tie to the membership.
“Went to high school and labored with Christian Daboll, Brian Daboll’s son, when he was at Penn State,” Johnson revealed. “So fairly early on, they confirmed plenty of curiosity and it was clear that this was undoubtedly a possible touchdown spot for me.”
The 6-foot-6, 257-pound Johnson mentioned he had not but talked to the Giants about what function he may play. He was additionally requested if he had watched plenty of Waller, who he has been in comparison with in a number of scouting reviews.
“I’ve undoubtedly watched Darren Waller,” Johnson mentioned. “I’ve plenty of respect for his recreation. You understand, he’s somebody that has actually established himself within the league, and I’m actually trying ahead to being in the identical room as him and simply listening to his knowledge from what he’s been by means of, not solely in his profession and his life however I’m actually trying ahead to being his teammate.”
That final half might not come to cross. The Giants, in fact, will desire a choice from Waller in some unspecified time in the future this spring to allow them to type out their roster and funds.
Johnson, by persevering with to develop, may help the Giants ease into what seems to be Waller’s virtually sure departure. He can solely look ahead, although. And he’s prepared to assist the Giants in any means he can.
“I believe I’m undoubtedly able to being a good finish which you can’t take off the sector with all of the attributes that I’ve and I’m going to work for that,” he mentioned. “I do know I’ve work to do and I’m going to do the work it’s going to take to be a George Kittle and be a man that you simply simply don’t wish to take off the sector as a result of I can do each single factor you’re asking your tight finish to do.”
