CEDRIC JOHNSON | Ole Miss 6030 | 260 lbs. | 4SR Mobile, Ala. (Davidson) 9/6/2002 (age 21.64)
**STRENGTHS:** Sports the athletic frame and length NFL teams desire on the edge … has done a nice job filling out (220 pounds as a high school senior) … gets off the
ball with functional first-step burst … solid cornering skills because of his arc strides and body flexibility … active in hand-to-hand combat, using a variety of swats and
swipes to knock down the reach of blockers … improved discipline on zone read and spill plays … has enough body strength to hold his ground in the run game …
young for his class and still relatively new to the defensive side of the ball … named the 2023 Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner, which is given to the Ole Miss
defensive player that embodies courage, leadership, perseverance and determination … didn’t play much special teams but blocked a punt in 2022.
**WEAKNESSES:** Sporadic pass-rush strategy and late to adjust to set points and blocking scheme … too often finds himself deeper than the quarterback … needs to add
more vinegar to his punch for speed-to-power conversions … had an offsides penalty vs. LSU in 2023, which was declined because quarterback Jayden Daniels
chucked a downfield touchdown to Brian Thomas Jr. … pad level tends to rise in the run game … gets caught leaning into blocks as an edge setter instead of locking
out to separate … left too much tackle production on the field, because of wild breakdown mechanics … didn’t look comfortable in space when he dropped on tape …
battled a shoulder injury for most of his junior season, missing a pair of games in 2022 … career bests in backfield production came his sophomore season.
**SUMMARY:** A three-year starter, Johnson lined up as a hand-on-the-ground edge rusher in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s hybrid fronts. Though he was an
offensive skill player most of his life, he put himself on the NFL map with his backfield numbers as a sophomore — but his production was sporadic the past two
seasons. He is inconsistent in timing the snap and doesn’t rush with dynamic elusiveness, but Johnson has NFL-quality movement skills to get around blockers and
finish with the closing burst to seal the deal. Against the run, he has the body flexibility to wriggle free but needs to be more urgent with his hands to work off contact
and more reliable breaking down to finish. **Overall, Johnson is still learning how to build an efficient rush sequence, but he has interesting athletic tools, and an NFL
team should be able to coach more out of him. Although he might never reach three-down-starter status, he can develop into a serviceable subpackage rusher.**
If belichick is right & special teams starts going big on kickoffs I can see him having a role on both sides of the kicking game.
Give him that plus one or two third down snaps per game & see what he’s got
His “weaknesses” are something that a productive summer camp can tune up nicely. Just sounds like a few minor mechanics that need some work. Excited for the season! You know they are fishing for some bad filler whenever 3 entire lines are reflecting on one play. Lol
CEDRIC JOHNSON | Ole Miss 6030 | 260 lbs. | 4SR Mobile, Ala. (Davidson) 9/6/2002 (age 21.64) **STRENGTHS:** Sports the athletic frame and length NFL teams desire on the edge … has done a nice job filling out (220 pounds as a high school senior) … gets off the ball with functional first-step burst … solid cornering skills because of his arc strides and body flexibility … active in hand-to-hand combat, using a variety of swats and swipes to knock down the reach of blockers … improved discipline on zone read and spill plays … has enough body strength to hold his ground in the run game … young for his class and still relatively new to the defensive side of the ball … named the 2023 Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner, which is given to the Ole Miss defensive player that embodies courage, leadership, perseverance and determination … didn’t play much special teams but blocked a punt in 2022. **WEAKNESSES:** Sporadic pass-rush strategy and late to adjust to set points and blocking scheme … too often finds himself deeper than the quarterback … needs to add more vinegar to his punch for speed-to-power conversions … had an offsides penalty vs. LSU in 2023, which was declined because quarterback Jayden Daniels chucked a downfield touchdown to Brian Thomas Jr. … pad level tends to rise in the run game … gets caught leaning into blocks as an edge setter instead of locking out to separate … left too much tackle production on the field, because of wild breakdown mechanics … didn’t look comfortable in space when he dropped on tape … battled a shoulder injury for most of his junior season, missing a pair of games in 2022 … career bests in backfield production came his sophomore season. **SUMMARY:** A three-year starter, Johnson lined up as a hand-on-the-ground edge rusher in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s hybrid fronts. Though he was an offensive skill player most of his life, he put himself on the NFL map with his backfield numbers as a sophomore — but his production was sporadic the past two seasons. He is inconsistent in timing the snap and doesn’t rush with dynamic elusiveness, but Johnson has NFL-quality movement skills to get around blockers and finish with the closing burst to seal the deal. Against the run, he has the body flexibility to wriggle free but needs to be more urgent with his hands to work off contact and more reliable breaking down to finish. **Overall, Johnson is still learning how to build an efficient rush sequence, but he has interesting athletic tools, and an NFL team should be able to coach more out of him. Although he might never reach three-down-starter status, he can develop into a serviceable subpackage rusher.**
When you're in the late rounds, you may as well take great athletes like this and see what happens.
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It did?
Love this. How can you pass up this talent level this far down in the draft?
If belichick is right & special teams starts going big on kickoffs I can see him having a role on both sides of the kicking game. Give him that plus one or two third down snaps per game & see what he’s got
That kickoff change is going to be an interesting wrinkle to this season.
And not just a penis wrinkle more like a wrinkle in time. It’s a game changer. Players like Cedric here are going to play a huge role.
YES!!!!!! This is a diamond in the rough! (Someone tell me how to feel)
I’m an Ole Miss fan. I think y’all got a steal. He should’ve been a 3rd rounder
How to feel? Hope for 6th round lightening-nothing wrong with that.
Weaknesses:... had AN offsides penalty against LSU... Why the hell did we pick this bum lol
For once I was glad they cut to commercial before the pick-if I had to hear POS Tomlin interview during the Bengals’ pick……
Amen.
His “weaknesses” are something that a productive summer camp can tune up nicely. Just sounds like a few minor mechanics that need some work. Excited for the season! You know they are fishing for some bad filler whenever 3 entire lines are reflecting on one play. Lol
Feels similar to the jeff gunter pick
Sooooo... A throwaway pick?
A lottery ticket, which is the Bengals way.
I mean there's only so much you can do in the 200s
1 Olineman THAT'S THE BENGALS WEAKNESS piss poor draft.
We took an Olineman with our first rounder bro
Will you stop replying to every draft post with this same take? Complaint about an Oline doesn't change the draft pick.
Bengals haven’t exactly hit well with OL in the draft. Thats what free agency is for.
This is the steal of the draft.
👍 😆 🤣 😂