Newest Cardinals OL Paris Johnson Jr. Believes Destiny Brought Him to Desert
TEMPE -- Perhaps the Arizona Cardinals ran into a bit of destiny tonight.
Long ago, the Cardinals took Paris Johnson Sr. in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft before he played just one season with the team, filling out practice squads for the remainder of his professional career.
Years down the road, Arizona eventually drafts Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr., a sign that a youth movement is coming to the desert amid the beginning stages of a rebuild.
The Cardinals could have gone any direction. Will Anderson was still there for the taking at No. 3, and even when the team traded back to No. 12 - and eventually back to No. 6 - options such as Tyree Wilson, Christian Gonzalez and Jalen Carter were on the board.
However, Arizona took the versatile Buckeye lineman that hopes to keep quarterback Kyler Murray upright and healthy for years down the line. Murray himself vouched for Johnson during the draft process according to reports.
It was a pick that made sense in a lot of ways - but when Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort visited with Johnson Jr. during the draft process, he said something that the Arizona GM was sure to bring up when he met with reporters following the selection.
"Paris said to me, 'I want to be here. I want to be an Arizona Cardinal and I want to finish what my what my dad started.' That really hit me, and I'm excited to get him here," said Ossenfort.
When Johnson joined reporters on a conference call after his selection, he was asked about the strong words of conviction:
"I felt it in my heart, to be able to tell him [what I did]. Honestly, I knew at the end of our meeting together, I wanted to express to him that I felt it in my heart, it was like a God thing," said Johnson. "I'm supposed to finish with my dad started. You know, my dad was a pick here, he was a fifth-round pick. I know my family has high expectations. Unfortunately he didn't meet those.
"I feel like you know, 22, 23 years later, God's been preparing me this whole time - my whole life - to be able to do what a Cardinal is supposed to do at that standard."
With left tackle D.J. Humphries still under contract and right tackle Kelvin Beachum recently re-signed, Jones could potentially play at guard for Arizona in 2023.
According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson played all snaps at left tackle last season but previously started at right guard during the 2021 season. The year prior to that, he logged just seven snaps at right tackle.
"I'm most comfortable anywhere. I just take the time to be able to own that spot. Man, I can play anywhere. So that's I'm excited about, to be able to use my versatility to help the team," Johnson said.
Johnson - who was in Kansas City for the draft - says he told his family he knew he was going to be drafted by Arizona.
"You can really ask my mom or anybody in that area. I literally - first two picks, I was chilling. As soon as the Cardinals come on the clock, I was staring at my phone the entire freaking time," said Johnson. "I was locked in from that moment. Told everybody before we're doing the red carpet that - not the media but I told my family, 'I feel like I'm gonna be a Cardinal today. If not, I'm gonna be a little sad.'"
Johnson says he didn't know the Cardinals traded back up to No. 6 after initially trading back to No. 12.
"There's no way that I'm gonna [last until No. 12]. The Raiders, Atlanta, Chicago, Eagles, they all need tackles. I'm thinking I don't know if I'll be there. So when I got the call, I went to the bathroom because I thought the Lions were up," Johnson said. "I come back and I got a call - I'm looking at my mama. 'Oh, snap. Am I going to Detroit?'"
As far as first impressions with reporters go, Johnson knocked it out of the park. We'll get the opportunity to meet him tomorrow at some point, but it's clear that he's a well grounded individual thanks to his mother.
"As far as my foundation, she instilled the value that sacrifice is everything," said Johnson. "I'm a God fearing man. I know that Jesus had the ultimate sacrifice for ourselves. Right after that, the biggest one is every single man or woman that is on that front line to protect us so I can enjoy this moment right now. This obviously was paid for by them - it's not free."
Destiny. Chance. Coincidence. Whatever you choose to call it - Johnson is an Arizona Cardinal, and it sounds like both sides wanted it to be that way.
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