Giants Player Profile | Rysen John, TE

2019 Rewind

It’s not overly rare that an NFL gem would be drafted from our friends north of the border. The Saints selected Akiem Hicks out of the University of Regina, and he ended up being one of the most dominant interior defensive linemen in the league with Chicago.

However, more often than not, players who begin their careers in Canada often end up as undrafted free agents. Such is what happened to wide receiver/tight end Rysen John out of Simon Fraser, a Division II program in British Columbia.

John stands at 6’7" and 227 pounds, and he reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds. He started catching the eye of the NFL in his senior season, where he had 53 catches for 861 yards and ten touchdowns as a wide receiver in 10 games.

This tied for 43rd in Division II ranks for yardage, which isn’t overly impressive, but John's frame, athletic ability, and leaping skills caught the eyes of not just NFL evaluators, but also CFL talent evaluators.

The Calgary Stampeders drafted John to secure his rights, spending a third-round selection on him, but John decided to try his luck in the NFL.

He attended the Hula Bowl, which is against Division I players, and he continued to open people’s eyes. The only problem for John was that the NFL viewed him as a tight end and not a wide receiver, hence why he likely fell out of the NFL draft.

Since he has never been seen playing tight end, the NFL probably didn’t feel comfortable selecting him, but this could be beneficial for the Giants.

It’s difficult when you’ve never evaluated a player coming out of a 3-point stance, and I’m sure it will be a tough transition for John at first if he is indeed asked to make the transition to tight end.

He was a hot commodity once undrafted free agency rolled around; the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Miami Dolphins all contacted the talented wide receiver, but the New York Giants were the team he selected.

All of the other teams selected, or traded for, wide receivers; the Jets drafted Denzel Mims, Cardinals acquired DeAndre Hopkins, the Colts selected Michael Pittman Jr. the Steelers drafted Chase Claypool, and the Dolphins selected Malcolm Perry in the 7th round.

The Giants, however, did not draft a wide receiver, which may have led to Big Blue being more appealing, but it looks like John will still be auditioned at tight end.

Looking Ahead

John’s blocking ability is unknown, though he did dominate a lower level of competition in college. But now he’s making a position change, while also trying to adapt to the speed, power, and athletic ability of NFL talent, and that's quite a steep hill to climb, though not impossible.

With that said, if you look at the depth the Giants have on the roster at tight end, John, who by the way was named after NFL receiver Andre Rison, would appear as the longest of longshots.

I do think the Giants might look to stash him on their practice squad, while tight end’s coach Freddie Kitchens attempts to develop and harness John’s overall skill-set.

John offers very good athletic ability, but the unknown of his blocking and the rawness of his football ability, given the transition, make it difficult for him to project on the final roster.

I wouldn’t be shocked if John has a very good training camp and takes to the coaching if he’s still on the team next season. Perhaps he can develop into a solid backup for Evan Engram, who has dealt with injury problems.

However, since John has other football options on the table, will he stick it out on the Giants practice squad in 2020 if that's where he ends up, or will he pursue a career in the CFL with the Stampeders?

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