Edge, Georgia Southern

Update: Raymond Johnson III Giants. No team was smart enough to draft Raymond Johnson III, but the New York Giants did sign him as an UDFA.

You know I love my small school prospects, I’m an Idaho Vandal through and through. That’s why I like looking at smaller schools for sleepers in the 2021 NFL Draft. But what if I told you the best all around defensive end in the 2020 college football season was from Georgia Southern, sounds crazy right? Number zero in your programs, but number one in your hearts, that’s Raymond Johnson III.

Strengths

Johnson is a 6’3” 270 lbs. powerful defensive end. He had a good pro day, but the film is what really matters here. One thing I love about Johnson is that he tackles violently, not dirty, but he explodes through the hit. I also mentioned he was the best all around defensive end this year. He plays the run incredibly well, coming off blocks quickly and making a play on the running back. His run instincts are incredible coming out of college.

While Johnson never put up big sack numbers, he was always harassing quarterbacks. Johnson put up an absurd 33 hurries this year. He’s not a one year wonder either, he put up 26 hurries in both 2018 and 2019. Quite simply, Johnson is always around the ball making plays. It’s easy to spot him as he wears number zero, the first football player ever at Georgia Southern given the honor of wearing that number.

Weaknesses

Johnson doesn’t have the measurable speed or quickness that a lot of edge rushers show in this year’s draft. Maybe I’m blind, but he sure gets off of blocks quickly, so I’m not that worried about it. He was also a high school basketball player, so I’m guessing he’s a plenty good athlete.

Fits/Comparison

Georgia Southern ran a 3-4, so Johnson played as a hand on the ground defensive end in their scheme. He could do that in the NFL, but I honestly think he’s a better fit as a 4-3 end. His strength against the run and the pass mean that he could be a three down defensive end in either defensive scheme.

This is certainly high praise, but Raymond Johnson III reminds me of an Everson Griffen. Griffen had a lot of concerns coming out of college, it’s easy to forget he fell to the fourth round. Johnson has similar size, strength and all around game. It’s hard to project any sleeper to develop into a multiple time Pro Bowler like Griffen, but Johnson should be able to be a starting end in the NFL. The Griffen comparison, and my fandom, make me think the Vikings could be a good fit. I think he’s a good fit anywhere, but a couple other teams I think may take him are the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks. Johnson is likely to be a day three pick, but whoever drafts him, is in for a nice surprise.