Name: Roderick Johnson
School: Florida State
Position fit: Tackle
Stats to know: Johnson had an up-and-down 2016 season from a grading and production standpoint. Johnson yielded three sacks, four hits and nine QB hurries. Finished his career with our sacks, 10 QB hits and 27 hurries surrendered on 1,167 attempts.
What he does best:
- Demonstrated ability to make every block in the run game (reach, down block, cut off).
- Was better in the run game than he was in pass protection during his career at Florida State.
- Long arms and uses them to keep defenders at bay.
- Athletic on the move and covers ground well. Can find his target at the second level.
- Played in and understands an NFL style offense (minimum learning curve if any).
- Room to improve with refinement of technique and skill.
Biggest concern:
- Johnson has given up inside on pass blocks, could be a sign of a weak lower body.
- Bad pass-blocking techniques that need to be rebuilt.
- Overextends on blocks (toes).
- Grades are average, several games with negative overall grades.
Bottom line: Johnson looks the part with his great size and length. His ability to make blocks on the move coupled with his physicality coming off the ball make him an intriguing prospect. The upside is clearly present but Johnson’s production does not match his potential. Johnson’s physical tools will more than likely cause a team to take their chances on him early than expected. He doesn’t look like a Day 1 starter in the NFL and his pass-protection fundamentals have plenty of room to improve, but if he does put it all together, he can be a viable NFL starter.
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