2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Zion Johnson

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Zion Johnson, 6-2/314 Guard Boston College

Zion Johnson Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Strong upper and lower body

Power to move defenders out of their gap

Strength to sustain blocks

Can sink and anchor against bull rushes

Technician

Well-developed technique

Gets to blocks on the second level

Hand placement

Good knee bend

Decent feet

Enough athleticism to start on the inside

Big hands – 10.88 inches

Plug-and-play starting ability

Weaknesses:

Limited to guard

Has some problems with speed rushers

Lacks elite quickness or athleticism

Summary: Johnson started out his college career at Davidson before transferring. In 2019, Johnson made seven starts at left guard in his first season with Boston College. He then looked improved as junior, showing NFL ability. While Johnson played some tackle, his natural position was guard. As a senior, Johnson put together a solid season, but he struggled with the speed rushers from Florida State to close out the year. Since then, Johnson put together good performances at the Senior Bowl and the combine. Team sources like Johnson and said he really helped himself, showing plug-and-play starting ability in Mobile and Indianapolis. They like how Johnson is a well-balanced blocker who is effective in both phases.

From a skill-set perspective, Johnson is a technician with impressive play strength. In pass protection, he has good hand placement and knee bend. Those things help him to hold his ground and sustain blocks. Johnson not only the upper body strength to tie up defenders, as he also has the thick lower body that allows him to sink his weight and anchor against bull rushes. Johnson has enough quickness, athleticism, and feet to slide and mirror, but could use some work for taking on NFL speed rushers.



Johnson packs a punch in the ground game, knocking defenders backward to open up holes at the point of attack. He is strong and physical to sustain his blocks and ride defenders out of their gaps. While Johnson is not an all-world athlete with shocking quickness, Johnson has enough speed and agility to get to blocks on the second level.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, Johnson should go no lower than the second round. He also has a chance to be a late first-round pick. Johnson looks like a guard only for the next level because he lacks the length for tackle and is not sufficiently quick or athletic enough to play center.



Player Comparison: Cody Whitehair. Johnson reminds some of Whitehair. Both are technicians with quality play strength, sufficient athleticism, enough quickness, and toughness. Whitehair was a second-round pick in 2016, and Johnson should go no lower than the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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