The 2024 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Theo Johnson 2024 NFL Draft Profile.
School: Penn State
Size: 6-foot-6, 259 pounds
Class: Senior
2023 stats: 34 receptions, 341 receiving yards, 10.0 yards per reception, 7 touchdown catches
Johnson has been a consistent target at Penn State over the last three seasons. Now he is in the 2024 NFL Draft.
As a four-star recruit in the class of 2020, Johnson signed with Penn State out of Canada. He made one start as a freshman with four catches for 56 yards. The following year, his role increased with 19 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown. His play helped the Nittany Lions win seven games. The following year, Johnson caught 20 passes for 328 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Penn State won 11 games during that season. In 2023, Johnson tallied 34 catches for 341 yards and seven touchdowns. He led Penn State to a 10-win season.
Following the 2023 season, Johnson declared for the 2024 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a third to fifth-round pick.
Johnson has the prototypical size for an NFL tight end. He stands 6-foot-6 and 259 pounds, which will make him fit right in at the NFL level. His arms measure in at 33 inches, helping give him a big catch radius. He also has big hands to grip the football when it comes his way.
Especially for his size, he is a great athlete. He ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and that speed shows up on tape. Johnson has solid acceleration and agility as well. He moves well and at his size, if he gets good coaching can use his athleticism even better at the professional level.
In many ways, Johnson is a good route runner. He can create separation, specifically against linebackers, making him a mismatch. Johnson can get in and out of his breaks quickly to beat man coverage. He can run several different routes with efficiency and get open, creating a quarterback friendly target.
Johnson has the size to be a good blocker, but he falls short of the mark in this area. He needs to keep his pad level low and drive defenders backward. His effort and technique can also be better. While he looks like an in-line tight end, he has a lot of work to do before he can be utilized as such.
He has good athleticism, but that doesn’t translate to his ability to run after the catch. Johnson doesn’t make defenders miss and has limited vision with the ball in his hands. He can run through arm tackles, but he can elude more defenders and pick up more yardage.
While he is a good route-runner to separate from man coverage, he can do a better job against zone coverage. He needs to find the soft spot in the zone and sit down rather than running into other zones. Johnson could be targeted more heavily if he can get open vs. zone at the next level.
Projected Draft Range: Third Round Pick-Fifth Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third Round Pick
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