With all due respect to Jameson Williams, no other college football player benefited more from the NCAA’s transfer portal in 2021 than Florida State EDGE Jermaine Johnson II. After moving from Georgia to FSU, Johnson dominated en route to earning ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors. NFL Draft projections label Johnson as an early-to-mid first-round prospect, so where are his best landing spots in the league?
NFL Draft Projections: Jermaine Johnson II’s potential landing spots
The 2022 NFL Draft will likely be remembered for its edge rusher class. There’s depth throughout the position group in this draft, and there’s also a concentrated group of talent at the top. Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Travon Walker project to come off the board before Johnson, but aside from Hutchinson, that’s not set in stone.
There are reportedly enough questions from NFL teams about Thibodeaux’s effort that he could slightly drop in the first round. Meanwhile, despite Walker’s excellent Combine numbers, some clubs may question his lack of statistical production at Georgia. Even if Johnson doesn’t possess the ceiling of either of those two prospects, he may be viewed as having a higher floor.
However, Johnson will more likely compete with Purdue’s George Karlaftis to become the fifth EDGE selected in the first round. After posting 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss last season, Johnson is unlikely to be available once Round 1 reaches its midway point. Which NFL teams represent his best fits?
Atlanta Falcons
It feels like the Falcons have been searching for a star defensive end for at least a generation (even if it hasn’t been quite that long). Aside from Vic Beasley’s out-of-nowhere 15.5-sack campaign in 2016, Atlanta hasn’t fielded a reliable double-digit sack threat since John Abraham — and his career ended nearly a decade ago.
If the season started today, the Falcons’ EDGE rotation would consist of free agent signing Lorenzo Carter, James Vaughters, and Adetokunbo Ogundeji. That’s arguably the worst group of pass rushers in the NFL. A top-end prospect like Johnson would help the Falcons get after the quarterback after they ranked 28th in the league in 2021 with a 34% pass-rush win rate.
Atlanta could also consider a quarterback or a wide receiver with the eighth overall pick. However, in a weak quarterback class, the Falcons may not want to tie themselves to a signal-caller. On the pass-catching front, some front offices don’t consider WR a position worth drafting in the top 10. Although, Atlanta’s regime did take a TE Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 selection just last year.
New York Jets
The Jets have several roster holes, and with two first-round picks (Nos. 4 and 10), they should be able to land top-tier players at critical positions. While Gang Green could theoretically target an offensive tackle, wide receiver, or safety Kyle Hamilton in Round 1, general manager Joe Douglas probably wants to come out of Day 1 with a cornerback and an edge rusher.
New York presumably won’t consider Johnson with the fourth overall selection. In that spot, the Jets are likely hoping one of Hutchinson, Thibodeaux, or Walker falls — if not, they could zero in on Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner. At No. 10, though, Johnson would make for an ideal Jets target.
2021 free agent addition Carl Lawson will return next year after rupturing his Achilles last August. Head coach Robert Saleh confirmed at the NFL’s annual meeting that Lawson is on track to come back in 2022, but Achilles injuries can sap explosiveness. New York recently extended fellow edge defender John Franklin-Myers, too, but they could still use more juice up front.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks could go in any number of directions with the No. 9 pick they acquired from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade. With Wilson and stalwart left tackle Duane Brown gone, quarterback and offensive line stand out as areas of need. On defense, cornerback is a problem, while Seattle also must improve upon its 22.1% pressure rate (seventh-worst in the NFL).
General manager John Schneider has swung and missed in his attempts to fortify his pass-rushing unit. He used top-50 picks on L.J. Collier and Darrell Taylor in 2019 and 2020, respectively, but neither has lived up to their draft billing. Trade acquisition Carlos Dunlap was solid last season before the Seahawks released him in March. Johnson should be in consideration for Seattle unless they’re dead set on drafting a quarterback like Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett at ninth overall.
Minnesota Vikings
With new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell in place, the Vikings are attempting a “competitive rebuild.” That’s not a strategy that typically works in the NFL, but Minnesota has extended Kirk Cousins, reworked Adam Thielen and Harrison Smith’s contracts, and signed veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith.
Although the Vikings seem like a team that’s stuck in place, they have the opportunity to land an elite prospect with the 12th overall pick. Adofo-Mensah has an analytics background, so it would be astonishing if Minnesota targets any players further down the positional importance spectrum.
The Vikings are set at offensive tackle. It seems unlikely they’ll go after a quarterback or a wide receiver in the first round. That leaves cornerback and EDGE. Depending on how the top of the draft shakes out, Minnesota should come away with one of Johnson, Karlaftis, Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr., or Andrew Booth Jr.
Baltimore Ravens
At pick No. 14, the Ravens feel like Johnson’s floor. Baltimore selected edge rusher Odafe Oweh in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and they tried to sign Smith before failing to agree on a contract. Even with Oweh and Tyus Bowser, the Ravens were trying to bolster their pass-rushing prowess. Like most smart teams, Baltimore anticipates and fills needs before they become a genuine problem.
Other teams further down Round 1 make plenty of sense for Johnson, including the Philadelphia Eagles (Nos. 15 and 18), Los Angeles Chargers (No. 17), Green Bay Packers (Nos. 22 and 28), and Arizona Cardinals (No. 23). But it will be a surprise if he falls past the Ravens.
