Rams pick at 259 … Johnson, DE

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  • April 29, 2023 at 6:58 pm #143767
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    Pick is Deshaun Johnson, DE Toledo

    April 29, 2023 at 7:04 pm #143770
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    DESJUAN JOHNSON | Toledo 6021 | 285 lbs. | 5SR Detroit, Mich. (East English Village) 9/3/1999 (age 23.65) #1

    YEAR (GP/GS) TKLS TFL SACK FF PD INT NOTES
    2018: (9/0) 16 3.0 1.0 0 0 0
    2019: (12/0) 32 7.0 1.0 0 0 0
    2020: (6/6) 27 8.0 3.0 1 0 0 Second Team All-MAC; Led team in TFL, sacks
    2021: (13/11) 70 12.5 4.5 2 0 0 Second Team All-MAC; Led team in FF
    2022: (14/14) 65 16.5 5.5 0 1 1 First Team All-MAC; Led team in TFL
    Total: (54/31) 210 47.0 15.0 3 1 1

    HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
    COMBINE N/A (not invited)
    PRO DAY 6021 285 31 3/4 9 3/4 77 1/2 5.02 2.90 1.70 29 9’0” 4.50 8.03 24

    SUMMARY: Desjuan (DEZ-juan) Johnson grew up on the east side of Detroit and started playing football at age 5. Around the same time, his father (Dion), who played defensive tackle at Kansas, tragically passed away two years after he was paralyzed by a stray bullet to the head (which occurred on the same day he had a tryout with the Chicago Bears). Desjuan was a three-star recruit and signed with Toledo where he grew into one of the top linemen in the MAC. Johnson is a disruptive player (ranks third in school history with 47 tackles for loss) who wins with burst at the snap, violent hands and body control to maneuver his frame through cracks on the offensive line. He has a nose for the ball in the run game, but he plays upright and will struggle to disengage once blockers get into his chest. Overall, Johnson lacks ideal size or length for interior work, but he is quick off the ball with a knack for shooting gaps and disrupting the backfield rhythm with his play violence.

    GRADE: Priority Free Agent

    April 29, 2023 at 7:25 pm #143776
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    I like that the Rams drafted two DTs, I just wish that one of them was 300+ lbs. As long as they can play, I guess.

    April 29, 2023 at 7:32 pm #143777
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    April 29, 2023 at 11:09 pm #143832
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    April 30, 2023 at 10:41 am #143897
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    May 7, 2023 at 12:21 pm #144069
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    Prospect Info
    COLLEGE Toledo
    HEIGHT 6’ 2’’
    WEIGHT 285 lbs

    Overview

    Johnson is as tough as it gets at the point of attack, where he was able to consistently battle and fend off blockers who were much bigger than him. He plays with excellent contact balance and is almost never on the ground. His arms are short for the position at the NFL level and his overall mass is below average for an interior player, but he rarely looks overwhelmed by his opponent’s power or double teams. Johnson is a consistently productive interior prospect, but his lack of physical traits is likely to limit his draft slotting and will potentially force teams to see if he can continue adding weight to his frame without slowing down.

    Strengths
    Tremendous pound-for-pound strength at the point of attack.
    Plays with excellent pad level and contact balance.
    Hands are heavy into first contact in both phases of his play.
    Shows ability to split the double team with success.
    Has lower-body power to drive through a blocker’s shoulder and into the pocket.
    Closing burst in short spaces to finish the sack.
    .

    Weaknesses
    Lacks desired overall mass as an interior NFL defender.
    Short arms create delays in discarding blocks.
    Doesn’t play with the juice and length to rush off the edge.
    Could have issues finding rush momentum on a consistent basis.

    June 26, 2023 at 1:44 pm #144469
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    Rodrigue, from the 6/post in this thread: previews, forecasts, predictions, roster guesses…from June on

    One player who could end up surprising people and sticking to the 53-man roster is the Rams’ last pick this spring, Desjuan Johnson. Coach Sean McVay noted Johnson as a player who impressed him in the spring.

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