We continue our tour of potential NFL draft prospects for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Our next stop is in State College, PA, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Steelers fans always get a little sentimental when it comes to drafting guys from their state. Whether it is Penn State or Pitt, you have a ton of overlap between fanbases. So there should be plenty of excited Steelers fans out there is Pittsburgh uses their first-round pick on Penn State defensive tackle Austin Davis.
Bottom line is this draft class is loaded at the top when it comes to interior defensive linemen. However, they all have a little different flavor to their games, and that will appeal to different teams in different ways. This diversity also makes any sort of projection about where they will be drafted quite challenging. Depending on how teams view Johnson, he could be long gone by No. 25, or be a real steal for Pittsburgh.
What I like-You have to love a young man as big as Johnson (324 pounds) with the level of energy and motor that he has. There are no plays off for Johnson, and he goes through the whistle every time. There are really two aspects of Johnson’s game to consider, if he’s drafted at a zero-technique tackle by the Steelers.
First is how he holds up against the run. Johnson gets dinged for a lack of strength, but what he may not have in raw power, he makes up for with quick-twitch power off the snap that commands attention, and exceptional technique. So while he might not be the plug in the middle of a defense some think about with a 3-4 nose, he is going to still demand multiple blockers so he doesn’t crease them and chance down the football. Another underrated aspect of Johnson’s game is his tackling. Because he’s so quick to diagnose the play, he is often in a position to make lots of plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. And with that, he has become a powerful form tackler. Very few missteps and strong upper body.
Second is his ability to impact the passing game. The Steelers would love to have a third interior pass-rushing threat to rotate with Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt. And the truth is that Johnson is much further along as an interior pass rusher than either of these guys were coming out of college. His hand usage isn’t ideal, but his upper body is so strong that once he gets ahold of you, he’s going to put you where he wants. This is partly due to his high football acumen. He understands leverage and can take advantage of offensive linemen that cheat one way or another. Instead of them dictating to him, he tosses them aside and closes on the football.
Overall-There’s a real chance that Pittsburgh won’t get a shot to draft Johnson in the first round. And there’s a chance the Steelers won’t view him as a true nose tackle prospect and pass. Keep in mind this is the team that keeps trotting Steve McLendon out like he is a nose tackle, and that’s not really true either. Johnson is a supremely smart assignment football player with gobs of experience and physical tools. His energy for a big man is a huge bonus when you are asked to play a lot of snaps. Plus he’s a local hero and star.
