The New York Giants are hard at work signing a crop of undrafted free agent (UDFA) rookies following the 2024 NFL Draft, and one of them stands out among the rest.
While it's incredibly difficult for UDFA rookies to make the roster, sometimes teams give a signal that they believe a certain player's chances are better than others.
In the case of Missouri offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson, who signed with the Giants, that may be true.
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According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, Johnson signed a deal with the Giants that includes a $20,000 signing bonus and $150,000 of his base salary guaranteed. That makes for a total of $170,000 guaranteed for the undrafted rookie.
#Giants deal for offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson includes $20,000 signing bonus, $150,000 in base salary portion guaranteed, for $170,000 total guaranteed, per a source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 28, 2024
This doesn't mean Johnson is an absolute lock for the roster. He still has to earn his way on. However, it is something to keep in mind when training camp begins later during the summer.
At 6-foot-4 and 313 pounds, Johnson had 33 1/4-inch arms. At his pro day, Johnson posted a 5.19 in the 40-yard dash along with a 31.5-inch vertical jump and 30 reps on bench press.
Johnson spent time at right tackle and right guard during the 2023 season at Missouri, but he dealt with an ankle injury that limited him to five games. He spent four seasons at Eastern Michigan, serving as the starting left tackle in two of those campaigns (2021-2022).
Under general manager Joe Schoen, the Giants haven't been shy about adding UDFAs. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, they handed out the 12th-most guaranteed money to undrafted rookies in 2023. They ranked sixth-most in that area in 2022.
We'll see if Johnson can make the roster, but his guaranteed money is certainly something to keep in the back of our minds.
For more Giants coverage, check out Kevin Hickey's work on Sporting News.
