(2023)DJ Johnson-EDGE-Oregon

DJ Johnson

EDGE

6’4, 270

RS Senior

Strengths	Weaknesses
Quick and Explosive Burst Off the Edge NFL-Quality Size and Length Good Acceleration in Space Power Element	Non-Fluid Hips/Change of Direction Unpolished Rush Moves/Counters Play Recognition Issues Can Struggle in Run Defense Older Prospect, Less Room from Growth

2022 Statistics (Per PFF)

*(Ranking is out of the 241 EDGE/LB with 200+ pass rush snaps this season)

2022 Statistic	Total	Ranking *	Rank Percentile
Pressures	28	T-135th	Bottom 44%
Sacks	5	T-100th	Top 41%
Hurries	21	T-102nd	Top 42%
Pass Rush Win Rate	15.5%	T-79th	Top 33%
QB Hits	2	T-190th	Bottom 21%
Tackles	20	N/A	N/A
Missed Tackle %	14.3%	N/A	N/A

Write-Up:

DJ Johnson is a pass rusher out of Oregon with quite the interesting college career. He played his true Freshman season with the Miami Hurricanes before sitting out for a season after transferring to Oregon. In 2020, Johnson made a move to TE as the Ducks were in desperate need for the position, where he put up modest numbers in an unfamiliar role. The next season, he moved back to the edge but struggled to stay in the lineup. In 2022, Johnson finally saw some stability and put up career best numbers. He is an older prospect, and will be 24 at the time of the draft.

Johnson is an interesting tape study for sure. Starting with the good things, Johnson has really nice burst and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. The quick get off can catch opposing blockers off guard, especially due to his relative size and length. Johnson has some really long arms, which allow him to usually make first contact. There is an element of power to Johnson as a rusher, though it is not super consistent. His athleticism carries over to his work in space, where he can be dangerous in pursuit of the ball carrier and is generally a solid tackler.

There are some aspects to Johnson’s game though that are going to push him down the board come the Draft. As mentioned above, he will already be 24 by the time of the Draft, which gives him little time to truly grow and develop his game. Unfortunately, Johnson really needs this development time. He really struggles with his change of direction, as his hips look to be fairly stiff while in his pass rush. In general , Johnson could really use some cleaning up when it comes to his pass rush plan. Far too often is Johnson inconsistent in rushing attack, and he does not display very many rush or counter moves in his attack. On top of everything, Johnson can struggle with play recognition, especially fakes and misdirection, which is concerning for an older prospect. It feels a bit unfair to mention, but there was an incident late in the season concerning Johnson and an opposing fan. This seems to be an isolated incident and not truly representative of Johnson’s character as a whole, but it is something to note.

Overall, DJ Johnson is an intriguing athlete with a lot of flaws to his game currently. There certainly is a pathway for Johnson to become a very solid NFL player, but as of right now it's hard to see him more than a special teamer and rotational pass rusher. His situation is very similar to that of Byron Young in this class, but Young’s ceiling feels much higher.

Draft Projection:  Rounds 5-7