2021 NFL Draft: Names You Should Know – Patrick Johnson, Tulane

The Tulane Green Wave football program does not have a particularly storied history when it comes to the NFL Draft, especially in recent years. Since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, Tulane has produced only six prospects selected in the first or second round. Of those six, only two were selected in the first-round — Patrick Ramsey in 2002 and J.P. Losman in 2004 — and both were resounding busts. In 2021, Tulane defensive end Patrick Johnson looks to change the programs’ NFL Draft woes.

While Johnson may not have much competition for the best Tulane player selected specifically in the first round, he does face some stiff competition for the overall NFL title. In 2008, the Chicago Bears drafted running back Matt Forte out of Tulane in the second round. Over 10 years in the league, Forte gained nearly 15,000 yards and scored 75 touchdowns. While he may not top that mountain, Johnson is a name you need to know for the 2021 NFL Draft.

What makes Johnson stand out?

If you’re going to be a first-round pick in the NFL, you have to have a calling card. Something that makes you stand out from the rest of the competition at your position. For Patrick Johnson, that calling card is his speed and burst. I’ve mentioned speed and burst with a few of the 2021 EDGE pass rushers I’ve previewed, but Johnson takes it to a whole new level, and it’s why he’s generating buzz as a first-round prospect.

Johson has an explosive first step and speed for days on the outside. He’s a lumbering offensive tackle’s worst nightmare. If the tackle isn’t perfect in his pass-rush set, Johnson is going to blow by him and wreak havoc upon the opposing quarterback. He showed it in spades his sophomore year, to the tune of 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.

Speed is important for an edge rusher, but it can’t be the only tool in your toolbox if you’re going to be a first-round pick. Johnson has some of the best speed in the class, but he also combines it with some of the best power in the class. Johnson is an absolute workout warrior, and it shows up on game day. His tape is filled with displays of him using his power to bully his opponents and get home for the sack.

Johnson has speed, and he has power. What more do you need from your edge rusher, right? Well, not so fast. There’s more to the position than simply being stronger and/or faster than your opponent. Johnson is one of the rare premier pass rushers at the college level who also excels in other facets of the game. This is where he shows off perhaps his most valuable assets: versatility and football IQ.

Johnson is more than just a pass rusher. He exhibits an ability to drop back in coverage. He has a ways to go in this department before you’d consider him a “coverage linebacker”, but it’s something that separates him from the other pure pass rushers in his class.

More impressive — and valuable — however, is Johnson’s ability against the run. Not only is Johnson a plus pass rusher, he is quick to read-and-react, and stays home on his responsibilities. He’s keyed in on the ball, not the quarterback, allowing him to adjust and make a play on the running back.

There’s a lot to like about Johnson and his game, but he’s not without some flaws that you don’t see in the truly elite pass rushers of the 2021 class like Gregory Rousseau of Miami.

What needs to improve?

As has been the case with most of the pass rushers I’ve previewed in my early look at the 2021 NFL Draft class, Johnson leaves you wanting more in the flexibility department. Being able to “bend the edge” is a critical trait for the EDGE position. It’s not one that you can’t win at the next level without, but it makes winning much more difficult. Johnson has a bit more bend than JaQuan Bailey and Tarron Jackson, but he could stand to improve nonetheless.

Speed and power can get you everywhere at the college level. They can get you pretty far in the NFL, too. But unlike college, Johnson isn’t always going to be the fastest or strongest guy on the field. Despite having exceptional speed and solid power, Johnson can be rendered ineffective at times if the offensive lineman is able to get to his spot and get his hands inside on Johnson.

If Johnson is going to be an effective pass rusher in the NFL, he’s going to have to develop some counter moves. It’s an aspect of his game he was working on in 2019, but injuries hampered his season and his development. If he can continue to work and grow in this department, the ceiling is very high for the Green Wave product.

Is Patrick Johnson worth the first-round hype?

As of right now, Johnson is slated by Draft Site to be Tulane’s first first-round prospect since Losman. The question is: Is Johnson worth taking that high? Is he just going to be another Green Wave bust like Ramsey and Losman?

Nothing is a sure thing when it comes to the NFL Draft. Every prospect has just as much chance of being out of the league in three years as they do becoming a perennial Pro-Bowler. Johnson looks much more like the “perennial Pro-Bowler” than he does a potential bust to Tulane’s NFL Draft record.

Johnson is projected to be taken in the mid-20s in the first round, and the third EDGE prospect off the board, behind the aforementioned Rousseau and Clemson’s Xavier Thomas. That’s a great spot for him, and the tape supports that value. Johnson has just about everything you want from a pass rusher at the college level, and he has a few extra traits that only add value to his draft stock.

If you’re a playoff team who struggled to put pressure on the opposing quarterback, Patrick Johnson should be squarely in your sights in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Chris Spooner is an NFL Draft contributor for @PFN365. You can follow him on Twitter @CSpoonerPFN.