• Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

The versatile Will Johnson can help the Giants in a variety of ways

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This past April the Giants signed Will Johnson to a 2 year contract. Johnson spent the last four years playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers after sitting out a year because he went undrafted in 2011. His versatility is what makes him a valuable asset for the Giants this upcoming season. He’s listed as a fullback but is also an excellent special teams player who was frequently utilized as an H-back in the Pittsburgh offense. The H-back is asked to block, pass protect, and run receiving routes from multiple sets.  In addition to that laundry list of strengths, Johnson’s ability as a reliable blocker is yet another reason why he’ll be needed in the offense.

Coach Ben McAdoo has not explicitly said how he plans to use Johnson but he is in a good position to earn a roster spot.  As a fullback he’s competing against Nikita Whitlock but could very well earn a spot on the roster as a tight end.  In that group he’s competing against fourth-year player Larry Donnell, and second-year players Matt LaCosse and Will Tye, as well as rookies Ryan Malleck and Jerell Adams.  At this point in training camp it appear that the top three on the depth chart at tight end are Larry Donnell, Will Tye and Matt LaCosse but there is a very good chance that Johnson takes the 3rd tight end spot and LaCosse ends up on the practice squad.  Thereby allowing Nikita Whitlock to return to the team as the fullback.   Will Johnson should be especially important as the team attempts to improve their running game from last season as those strong skills as a blocker will be key.  Last season the Giants finished 19th in the league in rushing yards, averaging 100.6 yards per game with only 5 rushing touchdowns.

 

Dan Evans is a Contributing Writer for PureSportsNY.com  You can follow him on Twitter @DanEvansPSNY

 

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

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