Scouting report: Herman Johnson

by Dan Kadar on Feb 1, 2009 11:37 AM EST in 2009 NFL Draft

Herman Johnson

6’7, 362 pounds | Offensive guard | Louisiana State

Strengths: Even though Johnson is one of the largest football players in the county, he’s surprisingly athletic. Moves well laterally to pull and trap. Road grating drive blocker. Can handle the strongest of defensive tackles on his own. Incredibly powerful throughout his frame. Dangerous hand punch. Alert as a pass blocker and keeps his head moving to pick up defenders. Long arms and big hands allow him to control opponents.

Weaknesses: Inconsistent play, especially his technique. Not a very good cut blocker. Weight will always be an issue after he came to LSU at more than 400 pounds. Came in very overweight at the Senior Bowl. Doesn’t have the best balance and needs to improve his base. Has to do a better job sustaining his blocks. Takes some time to get to the second level.

Final word: For such a big player, Johnson carries his weight fairly well. Still, based on his fluctuating weight, it makes you question his work ethic. Probably the most disappointing player during Senior Bowl practices. Johnson excels especially in the power run game, which perfectly suits his assets. Two-time all-conference selection. An All American as a senior.

Round projection: 4

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Dude

you are killing me. Every mock draft I’ve seen has him as a 2nd.

It makes putting together a mock draft very confusing.

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by Adam T on Feb 1, 2009 1:40 PM EST reply actions

Well, it's all just a matter of opinion

and my opinion on Johnson is dropping rapidly. The more I see from him and hear from others is not good.

Also, consider who exactly needs a guard. I couldn’t even fit Duke Robinson into the first round mock I did and he’s loads better than Johnson.

As I see it, the following teams could consider a guard in the draft:
- Baltimore: Depends on what happens with the linebackers and corners, and they could use a receiver
- Buffalo: Possibly second or third, but they really need a tight end and outside linebacker
- Chicago: I still contend they need a corner or a receiver before a guard.
- Green Bay: Doesn’t fit their blocking scheme
- Jacksonville: Tackle, receiver, defensive tackle are more pressing needs
- New York Jets: Have other needs that are more dire
- Pittsburgh: Probably needs two tackles and maybe a cornerback first
- St. Louis: Much bigger concerns
- Washington: Defensive tackle and linebacker are bigger needs

Then, in free agency, there about eight or nine guards I think teams would consider over Johnson.

Last, when I revise my rankings, he might just crack the top 100 overall and is possibly going to be passed by Levitre and Canfield in the guard rankings. So, let’s say I have him as even the third guard on the board.

Scott Wright currently has Johnson as the fifth best guard. Scouts Inc. has him as the seventh best guard. The average of those three would be fifth. Last year, the fifth guard was taken in the third round. In 07, fourth round. In 06 fourth round. In 05 fourth round. In 04 third round.

Originally, even after he did poorly during Senior Bowl practices, I pushed him to a third round grade. Then, after he came into Mobile 20 pounds heavier than listed, he got knocked back even further.

Is having in the fourth round a little of a stretch? Yeah, probably. But you keep hearing more and more negative stuff about this guy.

But, I could be completely wrong about the guy. It wouldn’t be the first or last time I misgrade a player. That’s part of the fun of the draft, though. Taking a gamble on your opinion of someone and finding out in a few years if you were an idiot or a genius.

by Dan Kadar on Feb 1, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions

Surprised to see Buffalo on that list of teams that could draft guards. I don’t completely disagree – any O-Line upgrade is fine in my book, and I really like Duke Robinson – but the Bills did give out long-term (5 years or longer) deals to LG Derrick Dockery and RG Brad Butler. If we’re drafting a guard, it’s going to be for depth purposes.

Now, center on the other hand…

As for Johnson, I agree that he’s slipping and that he has a lot to prove throughout the rest of the off-season, but a guy with his size and natural athletic ability won’t last until the fourth round. NFL coaches are too confident in their abilities to groom players to let guys as talented and as physically gifted as Johnson fall past a certain point. To me, Johnson looks like a perfect Round 2 or early Round 3 option for a team that values ginormous offensive linemen, such as the Eagles.

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by Brian Galliford on Feb 2, 2009 11:32 AM EST up reply actions