NFL Combine: Jermaine Johnson blazes his 40-yard dash time

Former FSU defensive end Jermaine Johnson continues to build momentum as the NFL Draft approaches. Johnson joined the Noles from the transfer portal and immediately became one of the leaders of the team.

His performances on the field earned him the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson then went to the Senior Bowl and dominated the opposition while there.

The only thing left for him to showcase what he can do was at the NFL Combine Saturday afternoon, and Johnson didn’t disappoint.

The 6’5″ 254-pound defensive end turned in a scorching 4.58 time in his 40-yard dash. That’s only five one-hundredths slower than FSU wide receiver great Rashad Greene at the 2015 NFL Combine. Johnson also posted a 32″ vertical and broad jump of 125″.

The 40 time is amazing, but the 10-yard split illustrates Johnson’s quickness off the line of scrimmage. That likely helps his draft stock quite a bit, and it’s faster than Kayvon Thibodaux’s split.

Johnson was already rated as a 6.49 (likely becomes a good starter within two years) by NFL.com. However, the numbers from the combine back up the production scouts see on tape while he dominated the opposition in the ACC. Johnson’s Combine numbers almost mirror the first defensive end selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jaelan Phillips.

Phillips was the No. 18 overall pick, but some mock drafts have Johnson going in the top 15 in the first round. The NFL has become a pass-happy league, and pass rushers come at a premium. Johnson’s ability to get after the quarterback and set the edge in the run game is a big reason why FSU’s defense improved so much between 2020 and 2021.

He has a relentless motor and stamina to give a team impact plays late in games. Whoever selects Johnson will get a player that talks the talk and has backed it up everywhere he’s gone over the past year.

He’ll likely be the first FSU defensive end selected in the first round since Brian Burns in the 2019 NFL Draft. Burns was the No. 16 selection overall and made his first NFL Pro Bowl last season.