Jerome Johnson 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’2.2
Weight: 296 lbs
School: Indiana University Bloomington
Pro Day Measurements and Stats
Hand: 10
Arm: 34
Wingspan: 81 1/2
40-Yard Dash: 5.13
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 21
Vertical Jump: 27 1/2
Broad Jump: 09’05”
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.63
3-Cone Drill: 7.70
Jerome Johnson 2021 NFL Draft Profile
Overview
Born on December 4th, 1997, in Bassfield, Mississippi, Johnson attended Bassfield High School where he completed 88 tackles, 20 of them for loss, and eight sacks in his senior year. He was a Three-Time, First-Team All-State, and First-Team All-Region selection and a Two-Time All-Area Honoree. Johnson was named the 2015 Region Seven-Two A MVP and the Mississippi Association of Coaches Player of the Year. ESPN.com ranked Johnson as the #64 best defensive tackle in the U.S. and the #27 best prospect in Mississippi. He committed to Indiana University Bloomington.
Johnson was redshirted for his first season. In his freshman year, Johnson completed 12 solo and nine assisted tackles with one sack and one forced fumble. During his sophomore season, Johnson had 21 solo and 10 assisted tackles with one forced fumble and three and a half sacks. In his junior year, Johnson had 21 solo and 22 assisted tackles with five sacks. During his senior season, Johnson completed 12 solo and six assisted tackles with four sacks and one interception.
He was an Honorable Mention BTN.com Big Ten All-Freshman his second season. Johnson received both the Chris Dal Sasso and Terry P. Cole Awards. He won the Chris Dal Sasso award for a second consecutive year in his junior season. In his senior year, Johnson won the Chris Dal Sasso award for a third consecutive year and received First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-Big Ten honors. He also led all school linemen in stops, sacks, and tackles for loss and was the school’s defensive player of the week for his play against Maryland.
Strengths
- Very disciplined and will not take too many penalties;
- Determined and always presents good effort in going after his target;
- Has good length when arms are fully extended;
- Has fluid motion laterally;
- When he is on, runners have a very hard time getting by him.
Weaknesses
- Average athletism, which limits his ability to break gaps and get at the quarterback;
- Is not fast enough in reading plays and reacting to evolving situations;
- His run defense is very inconsistent;
- Needs more strength and muscle in order to bear blockers;
- He needs to be more aggressive and faster with his hands against blockers.
Player Comparison: David Moa
Teams With Need At Position: New York Jets, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears
Draft Projection: Seventh Round
Bottom Line on Jerome Johnson
Johnson has size but lacks a lot of strength for his frame. He is competitive, will always provide effort in what he does, and does have tools that seem very raw. At this point, there is nothing above average in Johnson’s game and he predicts as a last-round pick. However, if he is able to improve upon his strength and situational awareness, a team may have come across a potential three-down backup.
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Main photo:
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