NFL Draft: Why NFL execs and reporters got it wrong with Jermaine Johnson

Have you ever watched the NFL Draft and scratched your head with some of the selections?

I’m sure you did it Thursday night when Jermaine Johnson sat on the board as a team after team picked guys we’ve never heard of in the first round.

Teams with needs at the defensive end position let Jermaine Johnson slide to the NY Jets at the No. 26 position.

The question is, why did that happen?

According to one NFL executive, Johnson isn’t elite and needs the right situation personality-wise.

I can understand evaluating a player and concluding they are not elite. That’s subjective, but to tell someone a player needs the right fight personality-wise? What does that even mean? First of all, if you watched the tape, Jermaine Johnson is the most complete defensive end in the NFL Draft.

I know folks will say guys get paid to scout and evaluate, but I’m here to tell you most of them suck at it. A prime example is Dalvin Cook sliding to the second round a few years ago. Most of the scouting reports are full of contradictions. Here’s one from the NFL website:

-Plays hard and fast; rarely stays blocked.
-Rarely gets to a fluid rush counter.

So if he rarely stays blocked, how can you say he rarely gets to a counter? These NFL folk are something else, and we wonder why the same teams that usually suck continue to do so.

I’m not sure what this NFL executive tried to insinuate regarding the right personality fit comment. It feels like someone talking just to be talking if you know anything about Jermaine Johnson. FSU football fans watched him for an entire year.

The guy plays his heart out, has an incredible work ethic, and has represented FSU with the highest standards. He has ascended to the top at every level(No. 1 JUCO player, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, First-Round Draft pick).

He overcame many obstacles to be on that stage Thursday night, and someone with character concerns normally wouldn’t overcome all that he has over the past 4 to 5 years. The NY Jets got a steal in the first round, and I’m looking forward to watching him make them eat their words.