Who Should I Start? Theo Johnson or Michael Mayer

Thursday, June 4, 6:19 AM

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson caught 45 passes in 2025 for 528 yards and five touchdowns, demonstrating a clear chemistry with quarterback Jaxson Dart and finishing as the TE13 or better in six of their nine games played together. However, calls for a true year-three breakout were largely quieted when the Giants committed $26 million in guaranteed money to free agent Isaiah Likely. With Johnson having since fallen to TE40 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, he could now be seen as a low-cost trade target with multiple paths to outperforming expectations. Head coach John Harbaugh arrives from Baltimore, where the Ravens were the only team in 2025 to run more plays out of 12-personnel than out of 11, and new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy's successful ability to run an offense through the tight end position is well documented. Johnson is only 25 years old, and in an offense proven desperate for secondary pass catchers by the recent signings of Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios, he could hold a legitimate role in 2026 and beyond.