NFL Draft Profile: Arizona Cardinals Select Ohio State OL Paris Johnson Jr.
#77
Pos: OT
Ht: 6063
Wt: 313
Hand: 0948
Arm: 3618
Wing: 8518
40: 5.20
DOB:7/3/2001
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
High School: Princeton
Eligibility: 2023
Paris Johnson Jr.
Ohio State Buckeyes
One-Liner:
An elite high school tackle recruit whose college experience entering the 2022 season has primarily come at guard, Paris Johnson Jr. has all the athletic tools to excel in his first season at tackle for the Buckeyes. Though he must work through certain technical issues, his rapid rate of refinement and improvement through the 2021 year indicates he has a high ceiling at tackle.
Evaluation:
The Ohio State football program is perenially stacked with future NFL talent. For that reason, elite recruits are sometimes buried on the depth chart or forced to play out of position early in their careers. Paris Johnson Jr., a top-ten recruit and the top tackle in his high school class, has accumulated substantial experience at guard for the Buckeyes. A high-character individual, the Cincinnati native is referred to by coaches as the “father” of the offensive line room because his teammates gravitate toward him. The team’s starting right guard in 2021, Johnson’s weekly progression after a slow start showed his remarkable capacity for growth. His technique, iffy in the second week of the season, had undergone a transformation by the fifth week of the year. He showed significant improvement in his footwork and his hand placement which, while still a work in progress, are no longer true weaknesses. If his technique is sound, the Ohio State standout is typically hard to beat. He also rapidly developed his understanding of stunts and delayed blitzers as the 2021 year wore on. What’s more, Johnson is an excellent athlete who boasts high-level movement skills and power. His ability to pull and seal, lead block, climb, reach, and get to space indicates he can be used liberally. Additionally, he has the lateral agility and overall athleticism to mirror defenders before and after engagement. He has flexible hips, ankles, and knees to draw strength from the ground up to anchor or drive. His grip and core strength are reliable and consistent once he has latched onto defenders. Further, he boasts the leg drive and power output to move opponents. All the same, Johnson is a massive projection. First and foremost, he has not yet played meaningful snaps at tackle in college. Moreover, he plays with concerning weight distribution; he lunges into blocks and even ducks his head, effectively going in blind. Johnson also takes awkward angles that, when overly aggressive, allow defenders to redirect him. He struggles against opponents who win leverage; he must learn to sit in the chair to win pad level instead of leaning forward. In an underwhelming tackle class, the Buckeyes’ star has a chance to develop into a stellar prospect thanks to his ability to improve weekly and his impressive athleticism. Paris Johnson Jr. projects as an immediate low-level starter at guard or tackle with elite upside.
Grade:
1st-2nd Round
Background:
Paris Johnson Jr. as a senior in high school was a five star prospect according to several platforms and was the top ranked player in Ohio. At Princeton High School, he was the offensive MVP in 2019 and a two time USA Today All American. Johnson Jr.,a Journalism student, also earned OSU Scholar Athlete as a freshman and has gotten some playing experience, including in the Football Playoffs versus Alabama.
