Does Paris Johnson Jr. Have the Footwork For the NFL?

This is the big question for me after watching Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. over the past two seasons on game film.

Most of the time, this left tackle gets the job done, but it’s not always pretty, and it’s the not-always-pretty part against college-level competition that has me concerned.

Granted, in college, Johnson was able to get by with his high effort level and aggression – – he was able to compensate.

Does that translate to the NFL against elite pass rushers who have more game than the pass rushers he’s faced so far?

That’s the multi-million dollar question…

How does Johnson look in pass pro?

A left tackle is measured by how he does when isolated against the game’s elite pass rushers out in space.

Can Johnson do that?

He looks alert and sets up with his long arms and with his hands in position to strike.

Johnson can withstand the power of bull rushes and he looks like a smart football player, doing a great job picking up stunts.

He’s convinced me he has fast enough lateral foot movement, but the problem is his technique, and it could very well be a serious problem at the next level.

Footwork concerns

I have concerns about Johnson against elite skill level speed rushers – – both to his inside gap and through the back door of the pocket

Johnson lost on a quick swim move through the back door against Wisconsin and he lost a couple of pressures inside again versus Wisconsin and Notre Dame on hard outside/in pass rush efforts.

Sure, Johnson can slide around shielding the perimeter often when minimally challenged, but every so often, this footwork limitation shows up like an unwanted telemarketing call.

He has this tendency to make his aggression work against him when he leans into blocks too much, and loses control, and crosses over his footwork.

Granted, in college he was able to recover enough to ride pass rushers around the backside of the quarterback, but will this hold true in the NFL?

These NFL pass rushers are crafty and they are sure to test and re-test this rookie inside and out to see what he has for an answer.

It’s a big enough concern for me to keep Johnson out of the first round.

Inconsistencies run blocking

While it was enough most of the time at the college level, he was too out of control too often for my tastes.

He gets after it when run blocking, and he moves well for a man his size. There were no problems with him pulling or getting out to the second level (where the linebackers reside).

He often does enough, sometimes just enough, and once in a while, not enough.

Aggressive streak

This is the thing I like most about Johnson – – his aggressiveness.

He loves to finish blocks if he can.

Johnson did this in pass pro and he did it countless times while run blocking both at the line of scrimmage and even at the second level.

Once in a while, he’ll even make his way inside and give a defender a nice hard shove to help out a fellow offensive lineman.

#77 Paris Johnson Jr. 6-foot-6, 310 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Grade: Second-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 95.4% (up from 93.4% on October 10) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of January 12, 2022 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

First Round Mock Big Board: TBD

Bust Probability: Low

2022 game film reviewed: Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and Penn State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Level of competition: High

2021 stats: 79.1 grade (pff.com)

Note: No sacks given up in this three-game study

Note: He has started every game dating back to the start of the 2021 season (ohiostatebuckeyes.com)

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic aggressive blocker with good size and effort who does enough a majority of the time. Active and energetic. In pass pro, looks alert quickly getting into position in the shallow depth of the pocket. Inconsistent maintaining wide controlling base. Solid anchor. Can lean too hard into blocks and lose footwork at the back door. Good picking up stunts. Nice combo blocks. Likes to run block, but inconsistent sustain. Good at pulling and getting to the second level. Inconsistent getting leverage down blocking. Loves to pancake. He will be a solid starter in the NFL for years.

Final words

His aggressiveness works for and against him.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.