The Baltimore Ravens could draft a promising pass-rusher in Jermaine Johnson, who heavily impressed coaches at this year’s Senior Bowl.
No position group is safe from scrutiny after the Ravens’ disappointing 8-9 season, and in truth, Baltimore could use quality reinforcements in every single unit except for quarterback.
If the Ravens opt to upgrade their pass-rushing unit early in the 2022 NFL Draft, they could go for Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson. Johnson made his name known in the Senior Bowl, and his skills and attributes could fit in well in Baltimore.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson released a 2022 NFL Mock Draft or what he calls, “The post-Senior Bowl Overreaction Mock Draft.” Wilson evaluated several Senior Bowl standouts and paired them with needy teams in the draft; for the Ravens, he picked Jermaine Johnson:
"“No one had a better Senior Bowl week than Johnson. We liked his 2021 tape a lot, but thought of him as a fringe first/second-rounder. He put any such doubts to rest with a dominating practice week in Mobile.”"
Ravens pick Jermaine Johnson in the first round of this mock draft
Kayvon Thibodeaux is the de facto top-ranked pass-rusher in this year’s draft class, but Johnson has quite a few notable skills of his own.
Per his scouting report on Pro Football Network, Johnson has above-average athletic upside and can use his “lateral agility” to be a disruptive force at the line of scrimmage and possesses “a tidy arsenal of pass-rush moves.”
Since his transfer to Florida State in 2021, Johnson has been one of the most productive members of the Seminoles defense. With four games to go in the season, Johnson has posted 49 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and one forced fumble.
Johnson may have exponentially increased his draft stock after his impressive Senior Bowl performance, and another NFL team could nab him before the Ravens’ first-round pick in April.
If Johnson falls to Baltimore, the team has the chance to add a very promising edge prospect indeed.