Eagles Host OL Paris Johnson on Draft Visit; Potential Jalen Hurts Bodyguard?
PHILADELPHIA - Paris Johnson was in Philadelphia on Tuesday to meet the Eagles’ brain trust as one of the team’s top-30 draft picks.
On Wednesday, he will be meeting with New York Jets officials. Eight days after that, he’s off to Kansas City to attend the first round of the NFL Draft on April 27.
That’s when Johnson’s pre-draft whirlwind process will cease, and he can begin to set up some roots because the offensive tackle from Ohio State will likely hear his name called at some point in the first round. Probably in the top 15, at the very least. Perhaps the Eagles snag him with the 10th overall pick.
An offensive lineman is very much in play early for an Eagles team that lost Isaac Seumalo and Andre Dillard in free agency and now has to be mindful of protecting the franchise, quarterback Jalen Hurts. Johnson is a versatile lineman who stands 6-6, 313.
He played right guard for the Buckeyes two years ago then moved to left tackle in his final season there last year. That’s the kind of versatility that could attract the Eagles. They could throw him in the competitive mix with second-year player Cam Jurgens to replace Seumalo as the starting right guard.
That would allow him time to gain strength to perhaps become the right tackle whenever Lane Johnson calls it quits on a potential Hall of Fame career. There doesn’t seem to be any question about Johnson’s athleticism, just based on his ability to play both sides of the line and two different positions.
Strength is what Mark Dominik believes is needed for Johnson, who is just 21, at this point in his career. Dominik, who spent 20 years working in an NFL front office, including 19 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spoke for more than an hour about the upcoming draft on Tuesday afternoon.
“I think what stands out for me is an athlete, just a very, very talented athlete across the board,” said Dominik. “I think that’s the thing you get excited about is you realize he can go out there on the left side, you can flip him over to the right side if you need to, but you certainly feel like he has the ability to be out there at tackle.
“He still to me could develop more strength. I think if you’re trying to find what he needs to work on, I think that Paris is going to continue to work on his overall strength at the next level and see what he can do in that capacity.
"That will be important for him to prove that – I think he can handle the anchor, but just to be able to handle the heavier rushers vs the speed guys. I think he has the footwork to handle the speed guys. It’s just can he handle the heavier-handed rushers, the Cam Jordans of the world? That will be the one to watch for me.”
It's sounds exactly like the kind of project that would in the wheelhouse of Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.
Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.
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