Saturday April 28, 2007 Player: Charles Johnson Team: Carolina Panthers Round3 Overall83 NFL Draft Home | DraftTracker

The good: Johnson runs well and can really get off the ground vertically. He is a compact, stocky athlete who comes in at 270 pounds and plays with outstanding leverage and functional strength. He has enough bulk to hold up at the point of attack and posses the quickness to move down the line and pursue from the backside. He can be an early-every-down player in a 4-3 defense. Johnson has explosiveness off the snap and can close on the quarterback in a flash. He has fine change-of-direction skills with the ability to recover if he takes a false step. He also has th4e speed to make plays at the opposite sideline.

The bad: He could learn more counter moves to combat double-teams and make plays after his initial move is contained. He needs work on using his hands better to beat the bigger blockers.

Outlook: His outstanding speed makes him a possible late first-round selection, though he may have to settle for a situational role early in his career. He’s a Top 40 prospect with real upside. The Philadelphia Eagles could take him in the first round. The Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers would love to see him available early in the second round.

Rankings by Frank Coyle of Draft Insiders' Digest and www.draftinsiders.com.