Last March, the New York Giants signed a long, lanky wide receiver who would make the contested catches and upgrade their red zone capability.
His name was Kenny Golladay. A year and half later, the Giants could just have that type of player on their offense, but it’s not Golladay.
His name is Collin Johnson.
Johnson, who was claimed last year off waivers by the Giants and played sparingly, was a fifth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020 and waived during final cuts last summer.
The 6-foot-6, 225-pound former University of Texas standout is the son of former NFL veteran Johnnie Johnson, who played the majority of his pro career as a defensive back with the Los Angeles Rams in the 1980s.
In the Giants’ first preseason game versus the New England Patriots, Big Blue was down a few receivers and Johnson was elevated up the depth chart.
He responded by catching seven of eight targets for 82 yards and looked quite fluid in the process. Johnson’s one faux pas was a lost fumble that stopped a possible scoring drive, but overall, he opened some eyes.
“As a receiver, you definitely get in a groove, and I definitely felt like I got in my groove the other night against the Patriots,” Johnson told reporters on Monday. “It felt nice to get in that groove again. Like I said, I just try to get in that groove in practice and one-on-one reps and everything I do. It didn’t surprise me on gameday because I try to prepare in that mental space. When it happened when the lights were on, I was ready for it.”
With Golladay still struggling to break out, the Giants are encouraged by what they’ve seen in Johnson.
“It’s not so much the size,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “It’s his overall intelligence of being able to line up at multiple spots. The ability to separate and get open is important and then make plays on the football when he has an opportunity to.
“He’s made the most of his opportunities. We’ve talked to these guys about earning it, and he’s certainly earned it with his opportunities that he’s gotten. If he does well, he’ll get more opportunities. He’s smart. He’s got position flexibility in terms of intelligence and understanding the roster. He’s made plays. He’s done a nice job.”
Johnson is the type of player Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are looking for — young, hungry and team-focused. Also, tough, smart and dependable.
“I literally look at myself in the mirror after I walk in from practice to the locker room and I ask if I gave it my best today,” Johnson said. “If the answer’s yes, I can be happy with that. And if the answer’s no, I’m not doing it right. I just got to continue to go hard and take it day-by-day, practice-by-practice. And if I gave it my all, I could live with that.”
