I love the linebacker position in football. It’s all about the grittiness of the position for me. You must be willing to get your hands dirty as you stop the run. Additionally, you must be athletic enough to cover running backs or tight ends down the field. When it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft, there’s a lot of talent at the position at the top of the board. However, Kentucky LB Jamon Dumas-Johnson is a day three prospect that we aren’t talking enough about. I’d go as far as to say that Jamon Dumas-Johnson is a 2025 NFL Draft gem.
Jamon Dumas-Johnson began his collegiate career at the University of Georgia, where he was a four-star prospect out of Maryland. His best season for Georgia was 2022, where he finished the year with 70 total tackles and four sacks. Dumas-Johnson entered the 2023 season on several preseason award watchlists. Unfortunately, his season ended prematurely due to injury after just nine games. This past offseason, Jamon Dumas-Johnson entered the transfer portal and found a new home at the University of Kentucky.
The 2024 season hasn’t gone well for the Kentucky Wildcats. They currently sit at a 3-6 overall record through nine games. However, that hasn’t stopped one SEC coach, Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin, from gushing over Dumas-Johnson’s contributions to the Kentucky defense. That shows in the stats, too, as Dumas-Johnson is on pace to beat his 2022 season numbers.
Jamon Dumas-Johnson doesn’t have the on-field production and stats like those at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft class. However, that doesn’t mean that he can’t have an impactful career in the NFL. Tyrice Knight, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has made significant contributions to the Seahawks on defense.
Jamon Dumas-Johnson will likely end up as a 2025 NFL Draft day three selection. However, given his ability to drop into coverage and hold his own in short-yardage situations, I don’t believe that is where his story will end.
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