Giants 2022 UFA Primer: DL Austin Johnson

Austin Johnson, Defensive Tackle

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 314 lbs.
Age: 27
NFL Exp.: 6 Years
College: Penn State

Defensive tackle Austin Johnson was signed to a one-year deal by the New York Giants on March 30, 2020, after he departed from the Tennessee Titans in free agency.

Johnson spent his first four NFL seasons with the Titans, who drafted him in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2016 Draft. In that span, he played in 58 regular-season games (13 starts) and five postseason games (one start), meaning he came to the Giants with valuable experience as a defensive lineman.

He also came without missing a single game in the previous three seasons, a trend he’s continued with the Giants (hasn’t missed a game since signing his initial deal with the team).

In his first season with New York as a defensive reserve, Johnson’s numbers were lighter than his previous three years, with Tennessee notching 18 total tackles (eight solos), one sack, and one forced fumble.

He followed up that debut with an increased role in the defense and a career-best season in year two. Johnson leaves the 2021 season holding a combined 90 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one recovery in the two years.

In March 2021, a year after his first deal, the Giants re-signed Johnson to another one-year contract for this past season.

2021 Recap

Entering the 2021 season, Johnson earned himself a starting spot in the Giants defensive line and returned the favor with the best regular-season performance of his career.

Playing in all 17 games for Big Blue, the fifth consecutive year he’s played an entire season, the Penn State alum tallied 72 tackles (career-high), 3.5 sacks (also a high), and a fumble recovery.

He also had six tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and one pass deflected. The numbers helped him finish fifth in the Giants defense in tackles and second among defensive linemen (only Leonard Williams did better, posting 81 tackles).

Johnson’s best game of the season came in Week 5 in Dallas, a 44-20 loss to the Cowboys, where the 6-foot-4 defensive tackle had four tackles (three solos), one sack for nine yards, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit on Dak Prescott.

Two weeks earlier, Johnson had a five-tackle, one-sack, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit game against the Atlanta Falcons, a 17-14 loss that came on the hands of his defensive unit and their miscues in crunch time.

He had three games–Week 4, 6, and 14, respectively–where he hit six tackles, a season-high.

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

Retaining Johnson for the 2022 season would mean the Giants’ have one of their best pass rushers back for another year and one who, well, who knows how dangerous he can become in Wink Martindale’s new defensive system?

In 2021, Johnson finished second in sacks (behind only Williams), third in sack yardage (23.5), tied for second in tackles for loss, and fifth in quarterback hits. He was part of a core of newer Giants players–including linebackers Azeez Ojulari and Quincy Roche–that dominated in the backfield and accounted for 14 of the team’s 34 sacks and 19 of their 79 tackles for loss.

Tack on Williams, the Giants' best veteran pass rusher, and the Giants could at least boast a group of bullish players that helped them finish in the middle of the NFL in passing defense.

Given he can punish offensive lines and pressure the quarterback, Johnson may also get better in Martindale’s system. The former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator is a blitz-heavy coach whose Ravens’ units have ranked among the highest in the league in that area. If he has watched the tape to see Johnson’s potential, Martindale may vouch for the team to bring him back so he can turn him into one of the league’s best pass rushers.

The only concern with this pairing is if it affects Johnson’s actual statistics despite all the blitzing. While Martindale’s groups have always been blitz-heavy, they’ve ranked middle of the pack in sacking the quarterback. From 2018-2021, the Ravens defenses were ranked 11th, 21st, 14th, and 23rd in sacks and also ranked dead-last in passing yards allowed, not a solid testimony to finishing off the quarterback on the blitz.

Why the Giants Shouldn’t Keep Him

While he was undoubtedly efficient against the passing game, Johnson saw himself struggle to defend against opposing run games. He was part of a Giants defensive line that allowed 492 rushing attempts (24th in the NFL), 2,193 yards (25th), and 4.5 yards per rushing play (22nd).

Without the likes of Blake Martinez (who missed most of the season with an ACL tear) and Dalvin Tomlinson (left to join the Minnesota Vikings in free agency last year), Johnson and the defensive line fell victim to bulldozing from double team rushers that often ran comfortably up to the second line of defense or farther before being stopped for a significant gain.

If fully healthy, Martinez will probably return next year to provide reinforcements in the trenches. Still, the woeful rush defense by Johnson and company is something that will undoubtedly be earmarked for improvement in 2022.

Keep or Dump?

Austin Johnson made good strides in his second season with the Giants, and one would like to think that will continue under the guidance of Martindale next year.

Suppose the Giants can get him to sign a reasonable deal that supports their cap space (Johnson played for $1.5 million in 2021). In that case, the defensive tackle is worth bringing back to maintain some consistency on the front four and bolster the team’s pass rush that may be a focal point of their defense come September. 

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