Report: Saints Re-Sign TE Juwan Johnson
Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports that the New Orleans Saints have re-signed TE Juwan Johnson. An Exclusive Rights Free Agent, Johnson returns to the team on a one-year deal.
Saints Juwan Johnson pulls in a touchdown pass from quarterback Jameis Winston against the Green Bay Packers. © Bob Self/Florida Times-Union via Imagn Content Services, LLC
The 25-year-old Johnson came to the Saints as an undrafted rookie in 2020. He played collegiately at Penn State before transferring to Oregon for his final season. He had 109 receptions for 1,520 yards and six touchdowns during his last three years of college.
Johnson was a wide receiver in college and played the same position in his first year with the Saints. As a rookie, he appeared in seven contests and pulled in 4 of his 10 targets for 39 yards.
An imposing matchup at 6’4” and 231-Lbs., Johnson was converted to tight end in training camp last season. After an impressive preseason, Johnson appeared in 14 of the Saints 17 games in 2021.
Johnson had 3 receptions for 21 yards and scored two touchdowns in an opening day rout of Green Bay. He caught 13 passes for 159 yards and four touchdowns in 2021.
Twelve of Johnson's catches resulted in a first down or touchdown last season. He averaged 11.4 yards per reception and pulled in over 59% of his targets.
An underrated athlete with solid blocking skills, Johnson was impressive while learning a new position. He'll need to add bulk to be a factor as an every down tight end, but was a valuable mismatch in short yardage situations.
