![]() “They did their best to make me feel as welcomed and part of it as they could,” Johnson said. He was ecstatic to see his old school win a national championship and FaceTimed with former teammates after the game. They’ve stayed regularly connected, with some even visiting him in Tallahassee. ![]() Johnson remains close friends with several Georgia players. He spoke highly of Georgia, praising coach Kirby Smart’s culture, practices and the team accountability. He revisited his journey with reporters in Indianapolis, explaining how his adversity-ridden path makes him NFL-ready. The unconventional path makes Johnson only more fascinating. The Draft Network’s big board has Johnson eighth overall. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper also linked Johnson to the Broncos, though they traded down to No. 9 overall to the Broncos in his most recent mock draft. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah lauds Johnson’s length and expanding pass-rush repertoire. And I made a deal with (FSU) coach (Mike) Norvell that I’d invest everything I could in that university and the city of Tallahassee.” Explore AJC coverage of the Falcons “It’s a bad stigma to go from the SEC to another conference. Then I ended up going to Florida State, so that’s a second transfer. Then things kind of didn’t go as I hoped at Georgia in terms of snap count, rhythm, stuff like that. “That was like the biggest flip you could make. “I was at Independence Community College for 18 months, then boom, I pop on the scene at Georgia,” Johnson said. He rose from community-college unknown to potential first rounder. Johnson’s three-school story is a rare one. Making that statement (at the Senior Bowl) was important to me.” “I think I’m the best defender in this draft. This is not to say that Johnson has off-field issue - it’s to say that he brings the same combination of power, speed, technique, and potential I saw in Smith at his very best.“I knew what I had to prove,” he said. A first-team All-Pro in 2012 with 19.5 sacks in 2012, Smith looked like one of the NFL’s most promising players until off-field things got in the way. Selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 draft out of Missouri by the 49ers, Smith was an immediate force with 14 sacks in a rookie season in which he didn’t start a single game. Johnson already has a high floor, and the ceiling is vaulted. ![]() There was enough on the Georgia tape to give an indication that Johnson would turn into a dominant player once he got more opportunities, and that’s exactly what happened in 2021. Based on the tape and attributes, I’d say he’s there already. Johnson doesn’t get to the quarterback, but here’s where you can see how he uses his hands as an inside rusher.Ĭonclusion: There are some analysts who will tell you that Johnson is scratching the surface of his potential, and he might be the best edge player in this class over the next few seasons. 1 interior offensive lineman on our list, and takes him to the ground on a snatch-and-go. Here, Johnson faces off with Boston College left guard Zion Johnson, the No. Strengths: In today’s front-versatile NFL, you want an edge defender who has some game inside the tackles, and Johnson qualifies. Stat to Know: In 2021, Johnson tied with Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie and San Diego State’s Cameron Thomas for the NCAA’s highest tackle for loss rate per game among edge defenders at 1.5. It was a wise decision, as his snap count shot up to 736, and he amassed 46 total pressures on 416 pass-rushing snaps. Johnson struggled to find the reps he needed in the Bulldogs’ stacked defenses (403 total snaps in the 20 seasons), so he used the transfer portal to finish his collegiate career at Florida State. Height: 6’4 5/8″ (69th) Weight: 254 (20th)īio: A high-school defensive lineman and receiver in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Johnson received major college offers as a three-star recruit, but academics got in the way, and he spent two years at Independence Community College in Kansas, and was featured on the Netflix series, “Last Chance U.” Then, he committed to Georgia over Texas, USC, and Oregon. You could argue that they came away with the best prospects at three positions of massive need, and you can’t do any better than that. The Jets got out of the first round with three picks: Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Johnson. Since Johnson was my top edge-rusher in this class, and the Jets managed to get him by trading up to 26 with the Titans… well, this is ridiculous. With the X pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Florida State EDGE Jermaine Johnson II.
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