Johnson was one of Cincinnati’s better value picks, but he’s got a tough road to making the 53-man roster.
The Cincinnati Bengals double-dipped on Ole Miss Rebels in this year’s NFL Draft, first taking Cedric Johnson in Round 6, followed by Daijahn Anthony in Round 7. While both didn’t hear their names called until nearly the end of the draft, some experts thought Johnson could go as high as Round 4.
Originally a class of 2020 recruit, Johnson would spend four seasons in Oxford, the last three in a starting role. He began his career as a backup outside linebacker before eventually moving to defensive end, and that’s when his career took off.
This past season, Johnson had 40 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and three pass deflections in 12 games while earning a 66.7 PFF grade. He finished his career with 111 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
As the 214th overall selection, Johnson was one of Cincinnati’s better value picks.
- ESPN had him ranked 120th overall.
- Sporting News ranked him 187th.
- Pro Football Focus had him 224th.
- CBS Sports put him at 206th.
- The Consensus Big Board, which factors in all the rankings across the internet, had Johnson ranked 168th overall.
- NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Johnson a Rounds 4-5 projection and a 5.97 grade, putting him in the ‘Average Backup Or Special-Teamer’ tier. Here is Zierlein’s scouting report of Johnson:
Johnson passes the eyeball test with flying colors, and there will be teams who gravitate toward his NFL body type and play strength. With that said, his tape fails to consistently hit the mark. He’s strong at the point of attack and will set firm edges but needs to become more intent on ridding himself of blockers and making more plays. As a rusher, he has strong hands and some tools to work with, but he needs to develop go-to moves and counters and attack the pocket with greater urgency. Johnson has upside but might never be more than a solid edge backup if his rush doesn’t improve.
While Johnson has some potential to become a quality edge player, he’s facing an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster this year. Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, and Myles Murphy are going to command most of the edge snaps, while Cam Sample and Joseph Ossai are going to be hard to beat out for roster spots, and former seventh-round pick Jeff Gunter has spent plenty of time on the active roster.
Unless there are injuries or trades made, Johnson has to really shine in training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on the Week 1 roster.
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