Johnson was among a horde attending the team’s annual rookie minicamp and the reality of his professional future finally set in.

“You know, you dream of playing for an NFL team, but actually having that ‘NY’ on your helmet, it’s a different feeling,” he told reporters.

As excited as Johnson is for the next phase of his career, he remains equally as confident. He believes he can adjust well to the NFL and develop into a “special” player for the Giants.

“It’s really exciting for me because I think I have a super high ceiling. I think I haven’t even scratched the surface of what I’m capable of. I’m really looking forward to proving every day that I’m out here,” he said. “I think I have tremendous room to improve. I think I can grow a lot more than where I’m at right now. I think that’s why I’m so excited.

“I’m coming in here with a learning mindset. I want to develop respect from my teammates and my coaches. I think that’s going to help me continue to grow and improve. But I’m super excited to get to work and get going here, because I think I have a potential to be a really special player here.”

How much of a role Johnson plays as a rookie will hinge on the future of veteran Darren Waller, who remains undecided about retirement two weeks after the draft.

Thus far, Johnson hasn’t heard a peep from Waller but would like to see him return to the tight ends room.

“At the end of the day, him being in the room is going to be good for everybody, so we’ll see how it shakes out,” Johnson said.

If Waller calls it a career, Johnson is ready to assume the additional responsibilities with an eye on doing “special” things within the offense.

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