A guy who has recently seen his NFL Draft stock rise is Toledo DT Desjuan Johnson.
Arguably snubbed from receiving an invite to the NFL Combine, Johnson has proved himself through the other opportunities provided — the Shrine Bowl and Toledo’s Pro Day on March 20.
During the Shrine Bowl game, it didn’t take long for Johnson to force some scouts to check their rosters when he secured this tackle for loss midway through the first quarter:
That opposing center never had a chance.
Johnson also showcased his abilities during Shrine Bowl drills, as well.
Who Was Mr. Irrelevant?
Desjuan Johnson was selected with the last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making him this year’s “Mr. Irrelevant.” He was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round with the 259th overall pick.
Desjuan Johnson Draft Profile
Getting to the backfield is what Johnson does best. The 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive lineman finished the 2022 season with 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He added 65 tackles and even grabbed an interception. The TFLs ranked fourth in the MAC behind only Thomas Incoom, Jose Ramirez, and Karl Brooks. He was part of a stout defense that gave up just 326.2 yards per game which ranked top in the league. Johnson earned First Team All-MAC honors and helped the Rockets secure their first conference championship since 2017.
I’m not exactly sure why Johnson failed to generate a ton of buzz up to this point. Perhaps it’s because of the other three guys previously mentioned that caused him to be overlooked in the league. It’s hard to overlook someone with his type of versatility, however.
Johnson can play all across the defensive line, from 1-tech to 3-tech to on the edge. More than likely, Johnson will be relied on to play the latter two in the NFL, especially because he will be going up against bigger, stronger offensive linemen. This means that Johnson can also fill in on multiple schemes.
What makes him able to find success in each position is he possesses both quickness and strength. He gets off the ball well and strikes first against the blocker, often not giving them much time to set a foundation.
Johnson has an array of moves that he utilizes, is slippery in the trenches, and uses his hands well:
At times, however, Johnson will get an offensive lineman off balance but will fail to take advantage, giving them another opportunity to gather themselves. It’s almost as if he surprises himself with how fast he can get off the ball.
His 10-yard split time of 1.7 seconds would have been the second fastest mark at the Combine among defensive tackles behind only Pittsburgh’s Calijah Kancey — whose 4.67 40-yard dash time was the fastest for a DT since 2003. For comparison, Johnson’s 40 time is 5.02 seconds.
The Detroit product was extremely consistent on the season, securing at least a TFL in 11 of his 13 contests. He was especially effective against conference opponents, including a six-tackle game against Eastern Michigan that also featured two TFLs and a sack. Over half of his TFLs came in the final five games of the season.
Johnson said during an interview following Toledo’s Pro Day that his effort doesn’t need to be coached. His play and these numbers help back that up.
As of now, Johnson has reportedly met with the Chiefs and the Lions. Both of these base 4-3 defenses have players in Aidan Hutchinson and Chris Jones that could certainly complement Johnson on the edge if he ever got the opportunity to play on Sundays, and it seems increasingly likely he will.
All in all, Johnson lives in opposing backfields, and that’s also where he’ll make his living.
