A top DE prospect wowing with Eagles watching at Senior Bowl

[time2rock]

A top DE prospect wowing with Eagles watching at Senior Bowl

 

MOBILE, Ala. — Jermaine Johnson II strapped up his helmet before he heard his name called.

He knew it was coming.

The potential first-round edge rusher from Florida State introduced himself to the crowd throughout the first Senior Bowl practice this week in Mobile but then ended it with an exclamation point.

In a competitive period to end Tuesday’s practice, American team head coach Duce Staley first called out Kentucky OL Darian Kinnard and that’s when Johnson knew he was going to be up.

Johnson didn’t disappoint.

"First rep, got a little humbled,” Kinnard said. "Got a little embarrassed.”

While Kinnard recovered on the second and third reps in the 1-on-1 drill, Johnson’s first rep was the kind of moment that had Mobile buzzing. And it’s the kind of moment that could catapult Johnson firmly into the higher reaches of the first round.

"You gotta answer the bell when your name is called,” Johnson said. "Coach called me up and I didn’t want to let my team down. I’m a team guy.” 

Johnson is a team guy. And he’s been that for a lot of teams.

Initially, Johnson began his college career at Independence Community College in Kansas. That’s the JUCO program made famous by the Netflix series Last Chance U. From there, Johnson went to Georgia but his opportunities were somewhat limited with the Bulldogs in 2019 and 2020 so he entered the transfer portal and played this past season at Florida State. He thrived, wracking up 11.5 sacks, 17.5 TFLs and 70 tackles for the Seminoles.

A fit for the Eagles? 

Johnson’s football journey has taken him from Kansas to Georgia to Florida. Could it take him to Philly next?

Well, the Eagles have three first round picks (15, 16, 19) right around the range where Johnson might be drafted. And, in case you haven’t noticed, the Eagles’ have a pretty obvious need for more edge rush talent. Josh Sweat is a Pro Bowler in 2021 but Derek Barnett is going to be a free agent and Brandon Graham’s career is winding down.

The Eagles need an infusion of young talent at that position. Howie Roseman, Nick Sirianni, Jonathan Gannon and the rest of their contingent in Mobile all saw Johnson’s impressive performance.

Johnson said on Wednesday morning that he had met with the Eagles but couldn’t remember specifics from that meeting. The Eagles met with every prospect at last year’s Senior Bowl, so maybe don’t make too much of it. But with that said, the Eagles have taken a lot of Senior Bowl players in recent drafts and Johnson would make a lot of sense for them.

Fine-tuning his game

Johnson measured in at the Senior Bowl at 6-foot-4, 259 pounds. He’s a long edge rusher who could perhaps pack on more pounds at the NFL level. The Eagles on occasion like to play their edge rushers inside but it’s clear that Johnson views himself as a pure edge guy.

When asked about his go-to pass rush move, Johnson said it varies based on his opponent. In college, he’d spent his weeks game-planning for the offensive tackle he’d see that Saturday. But he said it always starts with his power move. That allows him to set up his counters.

The two edge rushers he models his game after are Khalil Mack and Myles Garrett. But he models one part of his game after All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

"That guy is feared among the best of the best,” Johnson said. "At the end of the day, that’s my goal. Taking another man’s will. Having someone be terrified to go up against you. There’s no better feeling than that and you can just feel it as a player, when you know someone is just shaking in their boots. That’s a rewarding feeling.”

Poor Darian Kinnard was on the receiving end of that Tuesday.

More on the journey

Even though Johnson left Georgia after the 2020 season, he remained close with his friends on the team.

And when Georgia beat Alabama in the national championship, Johnson was on the phone with his former teammates that night to celebrate with them.

"I was happy. I was like cheering in my seat because those are my brothers,” he said. "I knew what they were going to do. I was part of the team. I was quite aware what we were capable of. I was happy to see them finish.”

While he watched his former teammates reach the peak of college football, Johnson doesn’t regret his decision to leave. His success at Florida State has him set up to be taken in the first round of April’s draft.

At some point after he hears his name called, though, he’ll probably think back to his 18 months at a junior college, when he had to grind to make a career out of football. In those days, there was a spotlight on his journey but he had to simply trust that he was becoming a future NFL player.

"It’s almost like bamboo,” Johnson said. "When you plant bamboo, you don’t see anything for a long, long, long time and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it explodes.”

That sounds familiar. Maybe he really is destined to be an Eagle.

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/eagles/2022-nfl-draft-could-jermaine-johnsons-journey-continue-eagles

[EaglesAddict]

Quote

 

"It’s almost like bamboo,” Johnson said. "When you plant bamboo, you don’t see anything for a long, long, long time and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it explodes.”

That sounds familiar. Maybe he really is destined to be an Eagle.

 

Quote

"At the end of the day, that’s my goal. Taking another man’s will.

For what it's worth, Daniel Jeremiah has Johnson as his 20th rated overall prospect

[UK_EaglesFan89]

He feels like a Howie kind of DE. Fairly high floor, probably won't be a bust but won't be a stud at the position.