The Jets made a huge trade to close Thursday night’s run on talen, as FSU defensive end Jermaine Johnson’s meteoric rise will continue in Florham Park.
The Jets landed Johnson after trading the No. 35, No. 69, No. 163 overall picks to the Tennessee Titans for the No. 26 and No. 101 overall picks.
And the Jets turned that 26th pick into the 2021 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. The 6-4, 260-pounder destroyed offensive game plans last season as he finished with 17.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He possesses a variety of moves to reach the QB with a full arsenal of speed, spin and power moves.
“I don’t really have any deficiencies in my game in my opinion, it’s really even,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to be a guy that can play the run but can’t rush the passer or rush the passer but get stoned in the run. I can do it all and I’m excited to bring that to New York.”
The addition of Johnson should significantly help the Jets defense which struggled to rush the passer with 33 sacks, tied for fifth-worst. And stop the run.
“Big, long, explosive. He’s got great athleticism, violence to his game. Very smart,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “He’s probably the most pro-ready of all the pass rushers this year in terms of having a repertoire to his game and something we can add to. Really a perfect fit for what we do defensively with our wide-nine system, putting him on an edge, getting him firing off the ball and attacking. Really going to be a great complement to the group that we already have.”
Johnson started gaining steam after the Senior Bowl, where he dominated practices by wrecking offensive lineman in 1-on-1s and team drills. That parlayed him into a first round pick, although he had a last-minute slide on Thursday night.
The Jets had a top eight grade on Johnson and were able to snag him after trading with the Titans, something Saleh promised Johnson Gang Green would do.
“He said, ‘What did I tell you? What did I tell you when you left my office,’” Johnson recalled. ‘I said that you guys would come and get me. And he’s like, ‘I didn’t lie, we came and got you. We’ve been trying to get you all night.’ So, it was pretty awesome.”
Johnson is a success story after starting his college career in JUCO before becoming a first round pick. After his junior college stint, he transferred to Georgia in 2019. He finished with 6.5 sacks in 17 games during his two-year stay with the Bulldogs. He then transferred to Florida State, where he dominated.
“It feels amazing man. The journey was so long and hard, but it was so rewarding at the same time,” Johnson said. “To be able to be selected in the first round and to be able to be on the Jets, like I’m so excited. When I met and visited with the Jets, it was a family feel. We clicked instantly and they said they’d come get me and that’s what they did. I’m so excited to come there and work.”
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