New York Giants UDFA Scouting Report: OT Marcellus Johnson, Missouri

The New York Giants didn’t add an offensive lineman in the draft, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have their eye on some undrafted prospects.

One such player is former Missouri offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson, who signed as a priority undrafted free agent with $170,000 in guaranteed money. Johnson was limited in action this past season due to injury, but he did perform on the Tigers’ special teams. 

Before last season, he spent five seasons at Eastern Michigan, where he developed into a three-year starting left tackle. During his time there, he helped EMU become one of the best passing offenses in the MAC. 

EMU also averaged an impressive 30.1 points per game over his 32 starts for the Eagles. In addition to his on-field exploits, he was also a four-time All-MAC academic selection. 

What to Love?

Johnson has good feet and decent athleticism, allowing him to move well in pass protection. One of the most important things in pass pro for an offensive lineman, especially a tackle, is keeping one’s body between the pass rusher and the quarterback, and Johnson does a great job at it. 

He also has decent contact balance, allowing him to sit back in his stance and be patient against the pass rusher. He does not reach or lunge at blocks but is patient and allows the defender to come to him.

That patience is key to his success, and he will need to lean on that talent if he wants to cement himself on this roster that is suddenly plush with offensive linemen. 

What Needs to Improve?

Yes, Johnson is a capable pass blocker, which is a positive, but he will need to improve his run-blocking ability. He needs to get stronger with his punch and be better at rolling his hips through when he makes contact with a defender. 

He also needs to get better at continuing to run his feet after contact as well. He is much better as a zone blocker than in a man scheme, and his technique could be cleaner in his gap scheme blocking. He has the ability but needs to round out his skills.

A professional strength and conditioning program can help him put more mass on his frame, which is currently bare-love and north of 300 pounds. That extra weight should help him move defenders as long as he can retain his quickness and improved footwork. 

How He Fits

The Giants are looking for depth at right tackle, and Johnson should provide that. He is a guy who they can train at both tackle positions. His pass-blocking abilities are definitely what they will hope to take advantage of as a backup for Andrew Thomas and continue to push Evan Neal to reach his full potential, but also be there if injury strikes as it has in his first two seasons. 

If he can impress coaches, he may make recent free agent signee Jermaine Eluemunor a permanent guard on this team. Johnson also proved in his final collegiate season that he can be a legitimate asset on special teams, which still needs to improve from its performance last season.