Arizona Cardinals select Paris Johnson Jr. with the sixth pick. Grade: B
(AP Photo/David Dermer)
The Cardinals came into this draft with the NFL’s worst roster, so trading down with the Texans for more picks, and then trading up with the Lions? Well… m’kay. They also didn’t get my best offensive tackle in this class — that would be Tennessee’s Darnell Wright. But Johnson is the kind of player who, with a few refinements, has the look of a 10-year starter at left tackle. He’s pretty much plug-and-play.
Height: 6′ 6⅜” (74th percentile) Weight: 313 (49th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: 29 reps (82nd)
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: 110″ (84th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle:
Wingspan: 85⅛” (95th)
Arm Length: 36⅛” (96th)
Hand Size: 9½” (13th)
Bio: Johnson moved from St. Xavier to Princeton High in the Cincinnati area, and started working out with former Bengals and Ravens tackle Willie Anderson while still in high school. To bring up another former Bengals tackle, Johnson was awarded the Anthony Muñoz Lineman of the Year honor in 2019, given the best high school offensive lineman in the country. The five-star recruit and No. 1 offensive lineman in the nation committed to Ohio State, but rescinded that commitment when Urban Meyer left. Johnson visited multiple schools in the interim, but re-committed to the Buckeyes. He started all 13 games at right guard in 2021, moving to left tackle for the 2022 campaign.
Stat to Know: Johnson allowed two sacks and 14 total pressures in his first season as Ohio State’s left tackle. Both sacks and eight total pressures came in True Pass Sets — PFF’s pass-blocking metric which excludes plays with less than 4 rushers, play action, screens, short dropbacks and time-to-throws under 2 seconds.
Strengths: At his best as a pass-protector, Johnson combines his impressive wingspan with a strong base and good technique. On snaps like this, and protecting a mostly pocket-bound quarterback in C.J. Stroud (little did we know until the Georgia game), Johnson is perfectly capable of erasing opponents who are trying to get to his quarterback.
As a run-blocker, Johnson hits the second level not only with aggressive intent, but also a nice sense of hitting and negating his target. He did just that here to Iowa’s Jack Campbell, who placed second on our list of draftable linebackers.
Weaknesses: Power can be a problem for Johnson at times. Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness (No. 8 in our edge defender rankings) presented issues for him by putting his hands on his chest and just pushing him back. Johnson will need to watch his timing in his pass sets to avoid these kinds of things in the NFL.
Johnson’s relative inexperience overall at left tackle shows up when he’s asked to pick up stunts, deal with rushers by foiling them with independent hand usage, and get his feet quiet to present his best possible counters to opponents.
Conclusion: Johnson looks every bit the ideal left tackle, and with more experience at the position, he will likely make that ideation a reality. He combines power, technique, and agility into a very appealing package, and if he’s the first offensive lineman taken in the 2023 draft, it would come as a surprise to nobody.
NFL Comparison: D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Selected fourth overall by the Jets in the 2006 draft out of Virginia, Ferguson combined athletic ability with developed power to make three Pro Bowls in his 10-year career. Ferguson occasionally dealt with bouts of iffy protection, but overall, he availed himself well in the run and pass games. Johnson could rise to that level over time.
