Tyler Warren likes Theo Johnson (and Jeremy Shockey)

Tyler Warren, ranked as the fifth overall prospect in Jeremiah’s top 50, will make it three consecutive years for Penn State producing a tight end in the draft (and four out of five years). The Giants are part of that trend, taking Theo Johnson in the fourth round in 2024.

Sure, he may be biased, but Warren listed his former teammate among the top five tight ends in the NFL. The others are George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Pat Freiermuth (another Penn State product), and Brenton Strange (surprise, surprise, another former Nittany Lion).

“When I got to Penn State I wasn’t a fully developed tight end yet,” Warren said. “I had to wait my turn and learn from the guys in front of me, understanding I was not at the point I needed to be in order to play and contribute and trusting the process. Everybody’s looks different. Mine took a few years until I got into the flow of college football. But Theo came in when he was playing his freshman year. We had a great relationship. All around college you’re going to see guys play right away and see guys take a few years before they really get rolling.”

On Johnson, Warren added: “We have some similarities and we have some differences. Theo is as athletic a tight end as you’ll find. Runs really great routes and is really a fast guy. He might be a little higher up on that scale and I do a little more of everything. He helped me out and I can’t say enough good things about what he’s meant to me through my process.”

Johnson isn’t the only Giants tight end that Warren admires. This summer, he watched film of Jeremy Shockey and liked what he saw.

“The way he kind of played and his mentality running the ball,” Warren said, “[it’s] something I kind of liked and tried to do a little bit this year.”

A native of Mechanicsville, Va., Warren wears No. 44 because of Hall of Famer John Riggins, who ran for 104 touchdowns in 14 seasons with the New York Jets and Washington Redskins.

“When I was younger, my dad put on John Riggins’ film and said, ‘This is how I want you to run the ball.'”

Will Johnson not participating at combine, but ‘film talks a lot’

In terms of prospects who play on only one side of the ball, Will Johnson is in the running for the first cornerback taken in the draft. The former Michigan standout missed the second half of his final season with turf toe. Johnson said he is “all good” now but will not participate in drills at the combine.

“There never was a decision to sit out,” Johnson said. “I physically couldn’t cut, couldn’t play, couldn’t be out there. So, yeah, I did everything I could every day to try to get back. I was there with my teammates in meetings and at practice trying to still be very involved, but just never physically could play.”

Johnson added: “I always feel like I’ve got something to prove to myself, that I’m the best and that all my hard work is worth it. I’m not participating here but at some point I will, and I feel like the film talks a lot too.”

Jahdae Barron ‘most efficient’ playing all four DB roles

Labeled as a “Swiss Army Knife” and ranked as the ninth overall prospect by Jeremiah, Texas’ Jahdae Barron is also eyeing the title as the first cornerback taken. The 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner thinks his versatility puts him over the top.

“I’m definitely confident in zone and man,” he said. “I played man in the slot. I played man even in our zone coverage. Our Cover 3 was a Match 3. We matched a lot of red lights [quick passes], so that’s how I had a lot of PBUs on red lights. I’m most definitely confident in my ability. I’m the most efficient and most consistent DB in playing all four roles. I played dime, corner, safety and nickel. Having that in my bag and knowing I can be moved around and to benefit anybody’s team I know that will help.

NFL salary cap set at record high for 2025

With free agency opening in less than two weeks, the NFL set the 2025 salary cap at $279.2 million per club. That is another record-high number after teams operated with $255.4 million in 2024.

“We have the resources to improve the roster,” general manager Joe Schoen said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “And that’s what is exciting about this time of the year.”

Schoen, who also holds the No. 3 pick in the draft, said the Giants are having free agent conversations this week in Indianapolis. Starters Greg Van Roten, Darius Slayton and Jason Pinnock are set to become unrestricted free agents.

“Two weeks from now, the roster will look different,” he said.

In terms of the most important position in sports, the Giants will “look under every rock” for a quarterback. If they draft a young QB, Schoen would like to pair him with a veteran to show him how to be a pro.

“We’re going to look at all options,” Schoen said. “We’re going to look at all options. It’s the most important position in football. We need to look through free agency, trades, draft, whatever it is, and we need better play out of the position.”