Buddy Johnson 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’0.4
Weight: 229 lbs.
School: Texas A&M University
Pro Day Measurements
Hand: 09 7/8
Arm: 31 1/2
Wingspan: 77 5/8
40-Yard Dash: 4.58
20-Yard Dash: 2.63
10-Yard Dash: 1.62
Vertical Jump: 38 1/2
Broad Jump: 10’08”
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.07
3-Cone Drill: 7.09
Buddy Johnson 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Overview
Born in Dallas, Texas, Johnson attended Kimball High School where he was both a running back and wide receiver. He had 472 rushing yards, 446 receiving yards, and 268 passing yards, which led the team. Johnson received Second-Team Honors as a junior quarterback and First-Team All-District Honors as a senior linebacker.
PrepStar ranked Johnson as a three-star prospect and was named to the PrepStar All-Midlands Region Team. Scout.com rated him a four-star recruit, ranked him as the #289 recruit in the U.S., the #19 outside linebacker in the U.S., and the fourth outside linebacker in Texas and the Midland Region. Rivals.com rated Johnson as a four-star prospect, the #28 outside linebacker in the U.S., and the #46 recruit in the state. ESPN.com rated him three stars, the #45 athlete in the U.S., the #81 athlete in Texas, and #99 in the Midlands Region. 247Sports.com rated him three stars, the #19 outside linebacker in the U.S., and the #49 athlete in the state. He committed to Texas A&M University.
In his freshman year, Johnson completed nine solo and 11 assisted tackles with one sack. During his sophomore season, Johnson completed 10 solo and 17 assisted tackles with half a sack. In his junior season, Johnson completed 38 solo and 39 assisted tackles with one sack, one forced fumble, and one pass broke up. He also had one return for a touchdown. During his senior year, Johnson had 45 solo and 41 assisted tackles, with four sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, and three passes broken up.
Johnson was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award. He received Nagurski and Butkus Award Watch List honors. In his senior year, Johnson had led the team in tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles and was second in sacks. He was also named Team Captain for six games.
Strengths
- Physical, tough, and aggressive in attacking the blocker;
- High character leader who works hard;
- Has special-teams experience;
- Quick, lateral movement;
- Very good at defending the run.
Weaknesses
- Undersized;
- Needs improvement in the pass coverage;
- Needs improve in play recognition and awareness;
- Needs improvement in his tackling in the open field;
- Needs improvement in the choice of routes to run.
Player Comparison: David Mayo
Teams With Need At Position: Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders
Draft Projection: Fourth Round
Bottom Line on Buddy Johnson
Players with true leadership qualities whose effort is never in question are a true gem of a find. Johnson has a reputation for being high character, as seen by his being named team captain. He plays above his size and can be explosive in short bursts. What holds Johnson back is his size, route awareness, and pass defense. If he can improve in those areas, Johnson can be an inside linebacker who can attack with a short run and be used on special teams.
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