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The New York Giants are reportedly signing former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Austin Johnson, adding depth to their defensive line. The news was first reported by Dan Duggan of The Athletic via Twitter.
Johnson, 6-foot-4, 314 pounds, is a four-year veteran who will be 26 during the upcoming season. He is a rotational tackle selected in the second round (43rd overall) by the Titans in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Johnson is known more for his run stopping ability, with a career run defense grade of 68.8 and pass rush grade of 51.9 through his first 3 seasons. https://t.co/ZjFHztaZO5
— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) March 26, 2020
Johnson has only 13 starts in 58 career games. The most snaps he has played in a season was 399 in 2018, which amounted to 38 percent of Tennessee’s defensive snaps. Last season he played 323 snaps (29 percent), with 23 tackles and 2 quarterback hits.
Johnson is a Galloway, N.J. native. He attended Penn State, where he played two seasons under the tutelage of current Giants defensive line coach Sean Spencer.
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman speaks often about wanting to build a deep rotation of defensive linemen. Johnson could be a piece of the puzzle that helps him do that.
— See our Giants free agency tracker for all the comings and goings.