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Paris Johnson Jr 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Paris Johnson Jr NFL Draft Profile: The consistent and elite Ohio State tackle is set to have his name called early in this year's draft.
Paris Johnson Jr NFL Draft

Paris Johnson, Jr NFL Draft Overview

Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 313 pounds
School: Ohio State

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Paris Johnson, Jr NFL Draft Profile

Coming out of high school, Paris Johnson, Jr was as can’t-miss of a recruit as one could find. He was a man among boys at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. he was a consensus five-star recruit with a nearly perfect 0.9953 rating from 247Sports, slotting him as the 10th highest-rated recruit in Ohio State history at the time of his signing.

He came into Columbus ready to step into a role with the Buckeyes offensive line but only appeared in five games, including the CFP National Title Game. After starting as left guard on the biggest stage, Johnson was moved to be the starting right guard in 2021. As as guard, Johnson, Jr played 768 snaps across 13 games and allowed 13 quarterback hurries and a single quarterback hit. He did not allow a single sack during the entire 2021 season.

For the 2022 season, Johnson, Jr was moved to his more natural position at left tackle. There, he continued to play at an elite level, shutting down opposing pass rushes and helping protect C.J. Stroud en route to one of the best offenses in the nation. In total, he finished with 827 snaps and allowed just nine quarterback hits and a pair of sacks. Those two sacks came late in the year, however, to Michigan and then Georgia in the CFP.

His play in his two years as a starter earned him second-team All-Big Ten in 2021 and first-team All-American and All-Big Ten in 2022.

Strengths

  • Experienced and proficient at both guard and tackle
  • Takes good angles on wide sets
  • Very athletic for size
  • Very fluid pull blocker
  • Plays through the whistle and finishes blocks
  • Has plenty of power to run block
  • High floor, high ceiling
  • Adept in technique and knows what and why to do anything
  • High IQ, natural leader
  • Only two allowed sacks

Weaknesses

  • Only one year of tackle experience
  • Was susceptible to spin moves
  • Tendency to lunge to establish contact
  • Tendency to duck head
  • Needs work on inside moves

NFL Comparison: Ronnie Stanley

Projection: Top 10-15

Best Fits: Tennesee Titans, New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bottom Line on Paris Johnson, Jr.

A star and a consistent contributor on one of the better offensive lines in college football, Johnson, Jr. made a name for himself early and often.

In his time at Ohio State, Johnson was as stellar as he was consistent. In 31 appearances, he allowed just two sacks; albeit they were each in the last two games of his career. Between his time as a guard and tackle, Johnson led the way and helped Ohio State garner its place among the elite offenses in the nation.

Overall, Johnson has the case to be OT1. He has the size that commands respect and would make any offensive line better. The key to that size is how well he moves. At 6’6″, Johnson has good footwork and technique for his size and has shown the athleticism that translates to the next level. He has experience on both the right and left side of the line, so he has been asked to pull in both directions as a lead blocker.

If an NFL team is looking for a physical blocker who plays through the whistle and isn’t afraid to do the dirty work to pave the way.

As high as his ceiling is, there is a need for some refinement to his game. Even though he did hold teams without a sack for the overwhelming majority of his tenure, he could be goaded into relying too much on his strength. Johnson has a tendency to lean forward and his balance is shifted. Pair that with a tendency to lower the crown of his helmet, Johnson can be beaten by spin moves, as evidenced by the sack allowed against Michigan.

Johnson’s physical traits are more than enough to slot him into a starting role right away. However, a team may get eve more out of him if they elected to go the same route as the Detroit Lions did with Penei Sewell: start him on the right side, refine his game even further, and then move him to the left side in year two.

Main Image: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY

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