Achi news desk-
It didn’t happen when Canadian Theo Johnson thought it would, but he landed where he wanted.
The New York Giants selected the Penn State tight end as the seventh pick of the fourth round, No. 107 overall, of Saturday’s NFL draft. Johnson had been projected as a potential second-day selection.
“(It) wasn’t in the cards for me but I think I was picked exactly when I was meant to be and exactly where I was meant to be,” Johnson told reporters in New York after his selection. “Since the start of this process, the Giants were very clear with their interest in me.
“He went to school and worked with Christian Daboll (son of Giants head coach Brian Daboll) when he was at Penn State. So early on, they showed a lot of interest and it was clear that this was definitely a potential landing spot for me.”
Johnson took the second Canadian off the board. Isaiah Adams of Ajax, Ont., an offensive lineman at the University of Illinois, was taken in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals on Friday
Nineteen picks later, the Detroit Lions took tackle Giovanni Manu from the University of British Columbia. Manu was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows, BC
The six-foot-six, 260-pound Johnson from Windsor, Ont., appeared in 45 games over four seasons at Penn State, recording 77 catches for 938 yards and 12 TDs. Last season, he registered career highs in receptions (34), yards (341) and touchdowns (seven – tied for the team lead) and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection.
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After participating in the Senior Bowl, Johnson performed well at the NFL combine, posting a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, a 39.5-inch vertical, a 10-foot five-inch broad jump—all second-best results—and a short shuttle time of 4.19 seconds was at the top of the position group. Johnson could fill a big need for the Giants with veteran tight end Darren Waller considering retirement.
“He runs like a wide receiver,” NFL Network draft guru Daniel Jeremiah said. “I thought he had put an end to the spring. From what we saw in the Senior Bowl, the all-star circuit, he was excellent there. Then the comb, pro day, you name it, that’s where he really raised his stock.”
Johnson said he hasn’t talked to the Giants about where he fits on the roster.
“What I do know is that I’m going to come in and I’m going to work from Day 1 and whatever role I win will be one I’ve earned,” he said . “I’m going to do my best to show everyone in the building that I deserve to be taken seriously. I can definitely be a tight end that you can’t take off the field with all the qualities that I have and I’m going to work for that.”
Jeremiah had Johnson ranked No. 82 on his top 200 draft prospects. He also pegged Arizona tight end Tanner McLachlan of Lethbridge Alta., at No. 68.
Earlier this month, Johnson was ranked second overall in the CFL Scouting Office’s list of the top 20 prospects for the league’s 2024 draft, which takes place Tuesday night.
The six-foot-eight, 350-pound Manu and highly touted teammate Theo Benedet anchored a UBC offensive line that allowed 15 sacks and helped the offense average 6.8 yards per rush. The Thunderbirds reached the Vanier Cup last year, dropping a 16-9 decision to the Montreal Carabins. Still, it was UBC’s first appearance in the Canadian university football championship game since 2015.
Manu became the first UBC player to be taken in the NFL draft.
“A huge human being,” said Jeremiah. “As you can imagine this is going to be a work in progress. This is a big, powerful player that’s going to be a fun project for them to take on.”
Manu did not attend the NFL combine but 16 teams attended his practice during the UBC pro day. He posted a 5.03-second 40-yard dash and had 23 reps in the 225-pound bench press.
Earlier this offseason, Detroit signed Canadian defensive lineman Mathieu Betts, who was the CFL’s top defensive player last season with the BC Lions. Manu visited the Lions before the draft (12-5, first in the NFC North), who reached the NFC championship game in 2023 before losing 34-31 to the San Francisco 49ers.
Detroit appears set at tackle with Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker but looks to improve its overall depth.
Manu was also ranked eighth on the CFL Scouting Bureau list.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
