Jets draft Jermaine Johnson: Promise fulfilled to get pass rusher to New York

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 28: Jermaine Johnson II poses onstage after being selected 26th by the New York Jets during round one of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
By Connor Hughes
Apr 29, 2022

NFL Draft 2022 tracker: Live blog and pick-by-pick analysis

Jermaine Johnson was among the Jets’ 30 pre-draft visits. He toured the facility. He met with coach Robert Saleh and his defensive staff. He got to know general manager Joe Douglas. It was, for all intents and purposes, a great time. That’s how Johnson felt. And the Jets agreed.

Advertisement

So, before the pass rusher flew home, Douglas and Saleh made him a promise.

“They told me they were going to come and get me,” Johnson said via video call on Thursday night.

And that’s exactly what they did.

With Johnson, a projected top-10 pick, still on the board at No. 26, the Jets traded back into the first round to select the Florida State defensive end. New York sent the Titans the No. 35, 69 and 163 picks. They got back No. 26, which they used on Johnson, and No. 101.

Draft grades: Sheil Kapadia weighs in on the picks
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?

Big board ranking: Johnson was No. 11 on Dane Brugler’s Top 300 list. He was his fourth-ranked pass rusher behind Aidan Hutchinson (No. 1 overall prospect), Travon Walker (No. 4) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (No. 8). The Jets traded back into the first round to select Johnson, whom Douglas said he had a “top eight” grade on. The Jets chose to select cornerback Sauce Gardner (No. 4) and receiver Garrett Wilson (No. 10) instead of Johnson initially.

Introduction: Johnson, 23, is among the more fascinating players in this year’s draft. He played at Independence Community College, then transferred to Georgia for his sophomore and junior seasons. He wasn’t overly productive, though, recording just 6 1/2 sacks in 16 games. He then decided to transfer to Florida State, where he had a massive 2021. Johnson recorded 70 tackles (17 1/2 for a loss) and 11 1/2 sacks.

Johnson is a long (6-5, 254 pounds) and athletic defender with quick feet and a natural ability to attack the quarterback. He has tremendous straight-line speed and is naturally suited for the Jets’ wide-nine defensive front. Saleh called him the most “pro-ready” rusher in the NFL Draft.

How he fits: The Jets named Saleh their head coach in large part because of his success as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator. Saleh’s defenses were so successful in large part because of the defensive line. Johnson goes a long way in replicating that dominating front in New York. He might not be an every-down starter Day 1, but he’ll rotate in for passing situations to give New York’s rush a jolt.

Advertisement

The Jets expect to target several interior defensive linemen on the second and third days of the draft to aid against the run, but their ability to attack the quarterback looks awfully good right now. The Jets now have cornerbacks capable of containing opposing receivers (D.J. Reed, Gardner, Michael Carter II) and a rush that will feast with that added time. Johnson joins Carl Lawson, Jacob Martin, Vinny Curry, John Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins and Bryce Huff in the defensive line meeting room.

Second guess? There’s no second-guessing for the Jets here. If anything, with a top-eight grade on Johnson, they might have second-guessed not taking him at No. 4 or 10. By trading back into the first round, Douglas gives New York its most impressive first-round haul in years. The Jets haven’t had three first-round picks since 2000, when they selected defensive tackle Shaun Ellis, defensive end John Abraham, quarterback Chad Pennington and tight end Anthony Becht.

Rookie impact: The Jets don’t have to rely on Johnson to start as a rookie thanks to the others on the defensive line. Lawson and Franklin-Myers are the mainstay starters. The coaching staff loves how disruptive Huff is. Curry is a veteran. The Jets signed Martin for his upside as a situational rusher. He’ll contribute as a rookie, but there’s no pressure to be an instant star.

Depth-chart impact: Saleh doesn’t believe it’s possible for defensive linemen to give 100 percent effort on every play if they are on the field for 60-plus plays. Men that big need a breather. Saleh wants to create a rotation in which every player plays 60 percent of the snaps, which allows each to give maximum effort every time he’s on the field. The additions the Jets have made this offseason will help create an environment where there isn’t much of a drop-off when guys rotate out.

Fast evaluation: No one expected the Jets to come away with Gardner, Wilson and Johnson. One of the three? Two of the three? Sure. But not all of them. Douglas said he and Saleh started talking about trading back into the first round for Johnson around the 15th pick. They finally pulled the trigger at No. 26. They were stunned he was still available. The Jets had a higher grade on Johnson than Kayvon Thibodeaux, who went No. 5 to the Giants.

(Photo: David Becker / Getty Images)

Get all-access to exclusive stories.

Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us.

Connor Hughes

Connor Hughes is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Jets. He began covering the team in 2014, working mostly for The Star-Ledger and NJ.com before joining The Athletic in 2018. Hughes is a New Jersey native and alumnus of Monmouth University. Follow Connor on Twitter @connor_j_hughes