NFL Draft Profile: Brandon Johnson, Wide Receiver, Central Florida Knights
#3
Pos: WR
Ht: 6021v
Wt: 199v
Hands: 0978v
Arms: 3268v
Wingspan: 8058v
DOB:
Eligibility: 2022
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Tennessee/American Heritage
Brandon Johnson
Central Florida Knights
One-Liner:
Average framed, high production receiver. Lack of traits and sustained separation on tape hurt his evaluation.
Pros:
Production in the final year of college football yielded 11 touchdown receptions in 13 games. Big-bodied target with wide catch radius. Has made some spectacular catches on tape. Experience playing slot at Tennessee and Z at UCF. Attacks blind spots and plays the backside of defenders very well. Has power when running routes and is shown shrugging off defenders’ hands. Well-rounded receiver with a lot of college football experience.
Cons:
Sluggish foot speed and average strides. Doesn’t have the vertical speed to stack DBs in quick enough time. Can find separation after shaking at the top of the route but the separation is short-lived. 4.55 projected speed doesn’t look to be true on film. Lacks burst with the ball in his hand and the ability to make defenders miss with twitch or flexibility. Plays too high which can make his route breaks easily predictable by the defender. Doesn’t have a redeeming quality or trait that would make him an attractive project in the later rounds.
Summary:
Average framed, high production receiver. Lack of traits and sustained separation on tape hurt his evaluation. After 5 years at Tennessee with lackluster production, Johnson transferred to UCF where his numbers exploded. He found success in the red zone and using his frame to box out defenders over the middle and in the corner of the endzone. In 2020, he made the number 4 play on the SportsCenter top 10 plays with a one-handed catch on a slot fade. He flashed some really good moves at the release, but it was just a bit too rare on tape. He has average athleticism with non-redeeming traits. Though this makes him a likely priority Free Agent, Johnson could afford to put a bit more weight on his frame as long as he doesn’t lose the average long speed he has. With this, it’s possible for him to find a home as a strictly special teams player in the NFL.
Background:
Grades:
Current Player Value/Potential Player Value
5.6/6.2
1/26 - One of the more polished players was Johnson, who ran sharp routes, flashed the ability to contort his body and adjust to off-target throws, while consistently plucking the ball out of the air. Most impressive is the length he possesses, as Johnson proved to be an ultimate red zone mismatch, scoring 11 touchdowns in 2021. A former four-star recruit, he played 46 games (15 starts) at Tennessee before finishing up his collegiate career as a graduate transfer at UCF. The size, pedigree and movement skills make him a tantalizing prospect.
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