Cedric Johnson, Edge Ole Miss: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Johnson was a three-star recruit from W.P. Davidson High School in Mobile, Ala. in the class of 2020

Ole Miss product Cedric Johnson had a strong showing at the NFL Combine. The senior defensive end projects as a mid-Day 3 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft who will contribute as a special teams player and rotational defender during his rookie season.

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Cedric Johnson, Edge Ole Miss: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior defensive end from Mobile, Ala.

Background: Johnson was a three-star recruit from W.P. Davidson High School in Mobile, Ala. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 1,003 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 950 for On3.com. Johnson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked two-star recruit for ESPN with a 71 grade out of 100. As a senior, he amassed 56 tackles, 16 sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a pass deflection. According to 247Sports, Johnson tallied 44 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception as a junior. He was born on Sept. 6, 2002.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed two games in 2022 as he battled a shoulder injury that eventually required offseason surgery

Awards: 2023 Honorable Mention All-SEC (College Football Network)

Pros: Special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units, arm length, room on frame to add mass, flashes of timing the snap well with a quick first step, attacks the B-gap when the tackle oversets, quick stutter into attacking the B-gap, quick hands, attacks the tackle’s outside hand to capture his outside shoulder, good at attacking and snatching the lineman’s hands, spins back into the action, double-handed swipe, cross-chop, long-arm move is strong when he locks out, long-arm was doing work vs. LSU (2023), high effort in pursuit, takes advantage of the tackle’s forward momentum to slip blocks, don’t try to block him with tight ends in the run game, decent mobility on limited zone drop snaps

Cons: Narrow frame, hip tightness, average bend, looked bendier in 2022, harmlessly driven around the pocket, doesn’t have the strength to play through the lineman’s frame consistently, lacks the power to break anchors, doesn’t use his arms to keep his frame clean enough, lacks a diverse set of counters, lacks the power to combat double teams and gets displaced, driven off the line in the run game, washed away by down blocks, stack and shed technique needs development, momentum runs him out of plays in pursuit

Overview: Johnson has special teams experience on the kick coverage, punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units. His arms measured in at 33 inches at the Senior Bowl, but his slightly narrow frame held his wingspan below 80 inches (79 4/8). Johnson primarily aligned at 5-tech in a two-point stance for the Rebels, but he also took some snaps in a three-point stance. He still has room on his frame to add mass in the NFL. Johnson appeared on the 2022 Freaks List written by Bruce Feldman for The Athletic. According to Feldman, Johnson sat at 11.3% body fat that summer. Feldman claimed Johnson jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical and ten feet in the broad while being able to bench press 390 lbs. He also supposedly surpassed 20 miles per hour on the GPS going into that season. Some of those athletic traits show up on tape. The senior pass rusher has flashes of timing the snap well and threatening the tackle with a quick first step. Johnson attacks the B-gap when the tackle oversets and uses a quick but subtle stutter to alter his rush angle and hit the B-gap. The Alabama native has quick hands that he uses to attack the tackle’s outside hand when trying to win around the edge. By snatching or swiping this outside hand, Johnson creates a clean path for himself around the arc to the quarterback. The former three-star recruit is good at snatching the lineman’s hands. He only has average bend to finish around the arc because of hip tightness. This leads to him being driven up and around the pocket frequently. He counters by spinning back into the action. Johnson’s pass rush plan includes a double-handed swipe, cross-chop, and long-arm move. He doesn’t have a diverse set of counters or rush moves, and his hand usage doesn’t do enough to keep his frame clean. Johnson lacks the play strength to break anchors or win through the offensive lineman’s frame consistently. He doesn’t have the power to compete with double teams in the run game and gets displaced by down blocks. His stack and shed technique is a work in progress. Fortunately, Johnson’s motor really shows up in the run game. He makes plenty of plays in pursuit. Johnson uses the offensive lineman’s forward momentum against them and slips run blocks to penetrate into the backfield. He is too powerful for tight ends to block in the run game. Johnson offers decent mobility when dropping into zone coverage, but he won’t see many snaps in that role at the next level.

Overall, Johnson possesses a well-rounded collection of athletic traits for an edge rusher, but his limited bend and inconsistent hand usage put a ceiling on his draft range. Johnson has the tools to develop into a regular rotational defender at the next level. He must continue adding to his tool chest as a pass rusher.  

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Projection: Fifth Round

Size: 6027, 260 lbs. (Senior Bowl)

Submitted: 02-16-24