Juwan Johnson hoping to stand out in second year at tight end

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Juwan Johnson was a surprise breakout for the New Orleans Saints in 2021, converting a first down on 12 of his 13 receptions and ranking third on the team with 4 touchdown catches. He didn’t get a lot of targets (the ball went his way just 22 times in 14 games), but Johnson did enough to warrant a longer look at tight end. The 6-foot-4 pass-catcher played receiver as a rookie in 2020 and in college at Oregon and Penn State, opting to convert to tight end last summer. Now he’s looking to build on that momentum with more experience behind him.

He’s certainly put in the work, telling WWL’s Jeff Nowak that he’s gotten his weight up to 250 pounds in preparation for a second year at tight end (Johnson added that he played at 235 pounds last season; the Saints’ online roster still lists him at 231). That puts Johnson closer to the position’s prototype, compared to teammates like Nick Vannett (listed at 261 pounds), undrafted rookie Lucas Krull (260), Adam Trautman (253), and Kahale Warring (250). It’s unclear what Taysom Hill’s goal weight is after shifting focus to tight end from quarterback given he’s still recovering from an injury-plagued 2021 season.

So let’s focus on Johnson. He was a healthy scratch at times last season because he didn’t offer much beyond his pass-catching ability in some specific situations and personnel groupings. He’s bulked up to help assert himself as a blocker on running plays, but he may need to look for a role on special teams, too. Vannett and Hill’s contracts ensure they’ll have roster spots — cutting Vannett specifically would save just $1.1 million while leaving $2.2 million behind in dead money. Trautman is a safe bet despite his early-career struggles. That means Johnson needs to show he offers more upside in more areas of the game than Krull and Warring.

Fortunately he’ll have a long summer to do so. There’s still time now as Saints minicamp practices continue, and the daily grind in training camp will bring ample opportunities. We’ll just have to wait and see if Johnson can take another step forward.